Sigma rule: PSScriptPolicyTest Creation By Uncommon Process

Rule

Title

PSScriptPolicyTest Creation By Uncommon Process

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2023-06-01

Modified

2026-10-19

File

rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_ps_script_policy_test_creation_by_uncommon_process.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the creation of the "PSScriptPolicyTest" PowerShell script by an uncommon process. This file is usually generated by Microsoft Powershell to test against Applocker.

Log source

product

windows

category

file_event

Detection

selection:
    TargetFilename|contains: '__PSScriptPolicyTest_'
filter_main_powershell:
    Image:
        - 'C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7-preview\pwsh.exe'
        - 'C:\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe'
        - 'C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell_ise.exe'
        - 'C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe'
        - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell_ise.exe'
        - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe'
filter_main_pwsh_preview:
    Image|contains:
        - 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.PowerShellPreview'
        - '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Microsoft.PowerShellPreview'
    Image|endswith: '\pwsh.exe'
filter_main_generic:
    Image:
        - 'C:\Windows\System32\dsac.exe'
        - 'C:\Windows\System32\sdiagnhost.exe'
        - 'C:\Windows\System32\ServerManager.exe'
        - 'C:\Windows\System32\wsmprovhost.exe'
        - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\sdiagnhost.exe'
filter_optional_gethelp:
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.GetHelp_'
    Image|endswith: '\GetHelp.exe'
filter_optional_citrix:
    Image|startswith:
        - 'C:\Program Files\Citrix\ConfigSync\'
        - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Citrix\ConfigSync\'
    Image|endswith: '\ConfigSyncRun.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.stealth

References

• https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/security-operations/stopping-powershell-without-powershell/

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/file/file_event/file_event_win_ps_script_policy_test_creation_by_uncommon_process.yml