Sigma rule: Suspicious MSHTA Child Process

Rule

Title

Suspicious MSHTA Child Process

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Michael Haag

Date

2019-01-16

Modified

2023-02-06

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mshta_susp_child_processes.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects a suspicious process spawning from an "mshta.exe" process, which could be indicative of a malicious HTA script execution

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_parent:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\mshta.exe'
selection_child:
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\cmd.exe'
          - '\powershell.exe'
          - '\pwsh.exe'
          - '\wscript.exe'
          - '\cscript.exe'
          - '\sh.exe'
          - '\bash.exe'
          - '\reg.exe'
          - '\regsvr32.exe'
          - '\bitsadmin.exe'
    - OriginalFileName:
          - 'Cmd.Exe'
          - 'PowerShell.EXE'
          - 'pwsh.dll'
          - 'wscript.exe'
          - 'cscript.exe'
          - 'Bash.exe'
          - 'reg.exe'
          - 'REGSVR32.EXE'
          - 'bitsadmin.exe'
condition: all of selection*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Printer software / driver installations
• HP software

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1218.005
• car.2013-02-003
• car.2013-03-001
• car.2014-04-003

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1218.005

References

• https://www.trustedsec.com/july-2015/malicious-htas/

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mshta_susp_child_processes.yml