Windows System Service Control Manager spawning cmd with PowerShell and stdin input obfuscation

Flags SCM-created services whose ImagePath runs cmd to invoke PowerShell using stdin/input and -NoExit patterns.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Service: system
Author: Jonathan Cheong, oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1059.001PowerShell
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1027Obfuscated Files or Information
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies Windows services (via the Service Control Manager, event 7045) that start cmd.exe with PowerShell and indicators of obfuscated stdin-based execution. Attackers often use stdin to conceal the actual PowerShell payload and reduce command-line visibility, while still achieving execution. It relies on System log telemetry capturing the service creation event and the service ImagePath containing cmd, PowerShell, and matching substrings such as /c or /r, input, and noexit.

Reporting behind it

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Windows System Service Control Manager spawning cmd with PowerShell and stdin input obfuscation

Pivot detection · T1027 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v1
No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

windows-system-service-creates-cmd-launching-powershell-with-stdin-obfuscation-72862bf2

title: Windows System Service Control Manager spawning cmd with PowerShell and stdin input obfuscation
id: 97495202-e8a5-4412-9295-f781af9ac1dd
status: test
description: This rule identifies Windows services (via the Service Control Manager, event 7045) that start cmd.exe with PowerShell and indicators of obfuscated stdin-based execution. Attackers often use stdin to conceal the actual PowerShell payload and reduce command-line visibility, while still achieving execution. It relies on System log telemetry capturing the service creation event and the service ImagePath containing cmd, PowerShell, and matching substrings such as /c or /r, input, and noexit.
references:
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/issues/1009
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/system/service_control_manager/win_system_invoke_obfuscation_stdin_services.yml
author: Jonathan Cheong, oscd.community, Huntrule Team
date: 2020-10-15
modified: 2022-11-29
tags:
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1027
  - attack.execution
  - attack.t1059.001
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: system
detection:
  selection_main:
    Provider_Name: Service Control Manager
    EventID: 7045
    ImagePath|contains|all:
      - cmd
      - powershell
    ImagePath|contains:
      - /c
      - /r
  selection_other:
    - ImagePath|contains: noexit
    - ImagePath|contains|all:
        - input
        - $
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 72862bf2-0eb1-11eb-adc1-0242ac120002
    type: derived

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