Sigma rule: Potential Arbitrary Code Execution Via Node.EXE

Rule

Title

Potential Arbitrary Code Execution Via Node.EXE

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2022-09-09

Modified

2023-02-03

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_node_abuse.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution node.exe which is shipped with multiple software such as VMware, Adobe...etc. In order to execute arbitrary code. For example to establish reverse shell as seen in Log4j attacks...etc

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_main:
    Image|endswith: '\node.exe'
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ' -e '
        - ' --eval '
# Add more pattern of abuse as actions
selection_action_reverse_shell:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - '.exec('
        - 'net.socket'
        - '.connect'
        - 'child_process'
condition: selection_main and 1 of selection_action_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unlikely

Tags

• attack.execution
• attack.stealth
• attack.t1127

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1127

References

• http://blog.talosintelligence.com/2022/09/lazarus-three-rats.html
• https://www.sprocketsecurity.com/resources/crossing-the-log4j-horizon-a-vulnerability-with-no-return
• https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/2022/01/18/active-exploitation-of-vmware-horizon-servers/
• https://nodejs.org/api/cli.html

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_node_abuse.yml