Sigma rule: Base64 MZ Header In CommandLine

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-3000106f5dcb, updated 2022-07-12T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Base64 MZ Header In CommandLine
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-07-12
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_inline_base64_mz_header.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects encoded base64 MZ header in the commandline

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'TVqQAAMAAAAEAAAA' # MZ..........
        - 'TVpQAAIAAAAEAA8A'
        - 'TVqAAAEAAAAEABAA'
        - 'TVoAAAAAAAAAAAAA'
        - 'TVpTAQEAAAAEAAAA'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.execution

References

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_susp_inline_base64_mz_header.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Base64 MZ Header In CommandLine" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_inline_base64_mz_header.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Base64 MZ Header In CommandLine",
entity page, dataset version ref-3000106f5dcb, updated 2022-07-12T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/22e58743-4ac8-4a9f-bf19-00a0428d8c5f (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 22e58743-4ac8-4a9f-bf19-00a0428d8c5f, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.