WMI scrcons.exe Loading Script and WMI DLLs via Image Load (Windows)
Alerts when scrcons.exe loads vbscript/wbem/WMI script DLLs, suggesting WMI ActiveScriptEventConsumer activity.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- image_load
- Author
- Roberto Rodriguez (Cyb3rWard0g), OTR (Open Threat Research) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2020-09-02
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Persistence → Priv EscRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags when the WMI script host process scrcons.exe loads specific scripting and WMI-related DLLs. Such DLL loads can indicate use of WMI ActiveScriptEventConsumers for event-driven execution, which is a common technique for persistence and lateral movement. It relies on Windows image load telemetry capturing the loaded module paths and file names for scrcons.exe.
Reporting behind it
- twitter.comhttps://twitter.com/HunterPlaybook/status/1301207718355759107
- mdsec.co.ukhttps://www.mdsec.co.uk/2020/09/i-like-to-move-it-windows-lateral-movement-part-1-wmi-event-subscription/
- threathunterplaybook.comhttps://threathunterplaybook.com/hunts/windows/200902-RemoteWMIActiveScriptEventConsumers/notebook.html
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/image_load/image_load_scrcons_wmi_scripteventconsumer.yml
Changelog
v2- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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.
title: WMI scrcons.exe Loading Script and WMI DLLs via Image Load (Windows)
id: fe8e2611-c0fc-40d2-a8ae-e716dedadfa6
status: test
description: This rule flags when the WMI script host process scrcons.exe loads specific scripting and WMI-related DLLs. Such DLL loads can indicate use of WMI ActiveScriptEventConsumers for event-driven execution, which is a common technique for persistence and lateral movement. It relies on Windows image load telemetry capturing the loaded module paths and file names for scrcons.exe.
references:
- https://twitter.com/HunterPlaybook/status/1301207718355759107
- https://www.mdsec.co.uk/2020/09/i-like-to-move-it-windows-lateral-movement-part-1-wmi-event-subscription/
- https://threathunterplaybook.com/hunts/windows/200902-RemoteWMIActiveScriptEventConsumers/notebook.html
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/image_load/image_load_scrcons_wmi_scripteventconsumer.yml
author: Roberto Rodriguez (Cyb3rWard0g), OTR (Open Threat Research), Huntrule Team
date: 2020-09-02
modified: 2023-02-22
tags:
- attack.lateral-movement
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1546.003
logsource:
category: image_load
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith: \scrcons.exe
ImageLoaded|endswith:
- \vbscript.dll
- \wbemdisp.dll
- \wshom.ocx
- \scrrun.dll
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate event consumers
- Dell computers on some versions register an event consumer that is known to cause false positives when brightness is changed by the corresponding keyboard button
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: b439f47d-ef52-4b29-9a2f-57d8a96cb6b8
type: derived