Sigma rule: WSL Kali-Linux Usage

Rule

Title

WSL Kali-Linux Usage

Status

experimental

Level

high

Author

Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)

Date

2025-10-10

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_wsl_kali_linux_usage.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the use of Kali Linux through Windows Subsystem for Linux

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img_appdata:
    - Image|contains|all:
          - ':\Users\'
          - '\AppData\Local\packages\KaliLinux'
    - Image|contains|all:
          - ':\Users\'
          - '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\kali.exe'
selection_img_windowsapps:
    Image|contains: ':\Program Files\WindowsApps\KaliLinux.'
    Image|endswith: '\kali.exe'
selection_kali_wsl_parent:
    ParentImage|endswith:
        - '\wsl.exe'
        - '\wslhost.exe'
selection_kali_wsl_child:
    - Image|contains:
          - '\kali.exe'
          - '\KaliLinux'
    - CommandLine|contains:
          - 'Kali.exe'
          - 'Kali-linux'
          - 'kalilinux'
filter_main_install_uninstall:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ' -i '
        - ' --install '
        - ' --unregister '
condition: 1 of selection_img_* or all of selection_kali_* and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate installation or usage of Kali Linux WSL by administrators or security teams

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1202

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1202

References

• https://medium.com/@redfanatic7/running-kali-linux-on-windows-51ad95166e6e
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install

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_wsl_kali_linux_usage.yml