Sigma rule: Suspicious JavaScript Execution Via Mshta.EXE

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-a9b5f4e4a024, updated 2023-02-07T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Suspicious JavaScript Execution Via Mshta.EXE
Status
test
Level
high
Author
E.M. Anhaus (originally from Atomic Blue Detections, Endgame), oscd.community
Date
2019-10-24
Modified
2023-02-07
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mshta_javascript.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of javascript code using "mshta.exe".

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\mshta.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'MSHTA.EXE'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains: 'javascript'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1218.005

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/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mshta_javascript.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Suspicious JavaScript Execution Via Mshta.EXE" by E.M. Anhaus (originally from Atomic Blue Detections, Endgame), oscd.community (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mshta_javascript.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: Suspicious JavaScript Execution Via Mshta.EXE",
entity page, dataset version ref-a9b5f4e4a024, updated 2023-02-07T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/67f113fa-e23d-4271-befa-30113b3e08b1 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 67f113fa-e23d-4271-befa-30113b3e08b1, 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.