Sigma rule: HackTool - Empire PowerShell UAC Bypass

Rule

Title

HackTool - Empire PowerShell UAC Bypass

Status

stable

Level

critical

Author

Ecco

Date

2019-08-30

Modified

2023-02-21

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_hktl_empire_powershell_uac_bypass.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects some Empire PowerShell UAC bypass methods

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ' -NoP -NonI -w Hidden -c $x=$((gp HKCU:Software\Microsoft\Windows Update).Update)'
        - ' -NoP -NonI -c $x=$((gp HKCU:Software\Microsoft\Windows Update).Update);'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.t1548.002
• car.2019-04-001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1548.002

References

• https://github.com/EmpireProject/Empire/blob/e37fb2eef8ff8f5a0a689f1589f424906fe13055/data/module_source/privesc/Invoke-EventVwrBypass.ps1#L64
• https://github.com/EmpireProject/Empire/blob/e37fb2eef8ff8f5a0a689f1589f424906fe13055/data/module_source/privesc/Invoke-FodHelperBypass.ps1#L64

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_hktl_empire_powershell_uac_bypass.yml