Sigma rule: PowerShell Write-EventLog Usage

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-7323ccae8724, updated 2022-08-16T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
PowerShell Write-EventLog Usage
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-08-16
File
rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_susp_write_eventlog.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects usage of the "Write-EventLog" cmdlet with 'RawData' flag. The cmdlet can be levreage to write malicious payloads to the EventLog and then retrieve them later for later use

Log source

product
windows
category
ps_script
definition
Requirements: Script Block Logging must be enabled

Detection

selection:
    ScriptBlockText|contains|all:
        - 'Write-EventLog'
        - '-RawData '
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Legitimate applications writing events via this cmdlet. Investigate alerts to determine if the action is benign

Tags

  • attack.defense-impairment

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/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_susp_write_eventlog.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "PowerShell Write-EventLog Usage" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_susp_write_eventlog.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: PowerShell Write-EventLog Usage",
entity page, dataset version ref-7323ccae8724, updated 2022-08-16T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/35f41cd7-c98e-469f-8a02-ec4ba0cc7a7e (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 35f41cd7-c98e-469f-8a02-ec4ba0cc7a7e, 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.