Sigma rule: Powershell Install a DLL in System Directory

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-ada046a8e21a, updated 2024-01-22T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Powershell Install a DLL in System Directory
Status
test
Level
high
Author
frack113, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2021-12-27
Modified
2024-01-22
File
rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_copy_item_system_directory.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Uses PowerShell to install/copy a file into a system directory such as "System32" or "SysWOW64"

Log source

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

Detection

selection:
    ScriptBlockText|re: '(Copy-Item|cpi) .{2,128} -Destination .{1,32}\\Windows\\(System32|SysWOW64)'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.persistence
  • attack.credential-access
  • attack.defense-impairment
  • attack.t1556.002

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

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_copy_item_system_directory.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Powershell Install a DLL in System Directory" by frack113, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_copy_item_system_directory.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 Install a DLL in System Directory",
entity page, dataset version ref-ada046a8e21a, updated 2024-01-22T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/63bf8794-9917-45bc-88dd-e1b5abc0ecfd (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 63bf8794-9917-45bc-88dd-e1b5abc0ecfd, 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.