Windows WMIC System Information Discovery via WMI Command-Line Queries

Flags WMIC command-line queries that pull OS, hardware, disk, memory, BIOS, and GPU details while excluding VMware Tools discovery scripts.

FreeReviewedSigma · Low · v5

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Joseliyo Sanchez, @Joseliyo_Jstnk (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2023-12-19
Updated: 2026-07-31

Analysis Detection

ATT&CK techniques

Discovery

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
- T1082System Information Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies process executions of wmic.exe (WMIC.exe) where the command line includes the "get" operation and queries specific WMI classes such as OS, CPU, diskdrive, memory (memphysical), baseboard, BIOS, and video controller details. Attackers often use WMIC for system inventory and discovery to tailor follow-on activity to the host’s hardware and software configuration. Telemetry relies on Windows process creation events capturing the executable name/path and command-line contents, excluding VMware Tools serviceDiscovery scripts to reduce noise.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1082 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious System Profiler Hardware Enumeration (via process_creation)

Suspicious Hardware Inventory Discovery via WMIC Device Class Queries (via process_creation)

Suspicious macOS Hardware Identifier Reconnaissance via ioreg (via process_creation)

Suspicious Encoded PowerShell Host Reconnaissance via Get-ComputerInfo via ps_script

Suspicious Host Recon via ConvertFrom-Csv and ConvertTo-Json

Suspicious Java Process Spawning Reconnaissance Commands via Cleo MFT (via process_creation)

Suspicious Reconnaissance Commands Spawned by Samsung MagicINFO Server

Suspicious macOS Download History Query via sqlite3

Suspicious Security Policy Export via SecEdit (via process_creation)

Windows WMIC System Information Discovery via WMI Command-Line Queries

Pivot detection · T1082 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v4
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v3
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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-wmic-system-information-discovery-via-wmi-command-line-d85ecdd7

title: Windows WMIC System Information Discovery via WMI Command-Line Queries
id: 04a161d1-4e83-4896-b853-e46d66816de8
related:
  - id: 9d5a1274-922a-49d0-87f3-8c653483b909
    type: derived
  - id: d85ecdd7-b855-4e6e-af59-d9c78b5b861e
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule identifies process executions of wmic.exe (WMIC.exe) where the command line includes the "get" operation and queries specific WMI classes such as OS, CPU, diskdrive, memory (memphysical), baseboard, BIOS, and video controller details. Attackers often use WMIC for system inventory and discovery to tailor follow-on activity to the host’s hardware and software configuration. Telemetry relies on Windows process creation events capturing the executable name/path and command-line contents, excluding VMware Tools serviceDiscovery scripts to reduce noise.
references:
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/a2ccd19c37d0278b4ffa8583add3cf52060a5418/atomics/T1082/T1082.md#atomic-test-25---system-information-discovery-with-wmic
  - https://nwgat.ninja/getting-system-information-with-wmic-on-windows/
  - https://blog.sekoia.io/aurora-a-rising-stealer-flying-under-the-radar
  - https://blog.cyble.com/2023/01/18/aurora-a-stealer-using-shapeshifting-tactics/
  - https://app.any.run/tasks/a6aa0057-82ec-451f-8f99-55650ca537da/
  - https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/d6f6bc10ae0e634ed4301d584f61418cee18e5d58ad9af72f8aa552dc4aaeca3/behavior
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_wmic_recon_system_info.yml
author: Joseliyo Sanchez, @Joseliyo_Jstnk, Huntrule Team
date: 2023-12-19
modified: 2024-01-15
tags:
  - attack.discovery
  - attack.t1082
  - detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_wmic:
    - Description: WMI Commandline Utility
    - OriginalFileName: wmic.exe
    - Image|endswith: \WMIC.exe
  selection_get:
    CommandLine|contains: get
  selection_classes:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - baseboard
      - bios
      - cpu
      - diskdrive
      - logicaldisk
      - memphysical
      - os
      - path
      - startup
      - win32_videocontroller
  selection_attributes:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - caption
      - command
      - driverversion
      - maxcapacity
      - name
      - osarchitecture
      - product
      - size
      - smbiosbiosversion
      - version
      - videomodedescription
  filter_optional_vmtools:
    ParentCommandLine|contains: \VMware\VMware Tools\serviceDiscovery\scripts\
  condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
  - VMWare Tools serviceDiscovery scripts
level: low
license: DRL-1.1

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