Sigma rule: Remote PowerShell Session Host Process (WinRM)

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-55d3d691dba5, updated 2022-10-09T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Remote PowerShell Session Host Process (WinRM)
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Roberto Rodriguez @Cyb3rWard0g
Date
2019-09-12
Modified
2022-10-09
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_winrm_remote_powershell_session_process.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects remote PowerShell sections by monitoring for wsmprovhost (WinRM host process) as a parent or child process (sign of an active PowerShell remote session).

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    - Image|endswith: '\wsmprovhost.exe'
    - ParentImage|endswith: '\wsmprovhost.exe'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Legitimate usage of remote Powershell, e.g. for monitoring purposes.

Tags

  • attack.execution
  • attack.lateral-movement
  • attack.t1059.001
  • attack.t1021.006

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_winrm_remote_powershell_session_process.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Remote PowerShell Session Host Process (WinRM)" by Roberto Rodriguez @Cyb3rWard0g (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_winrm_remote_powershell_session_process.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: Remote PowerShell Session Host Process (WinRM)",
entity page, dataset version ref-55d3d691dba5, updated 2022-10-09T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/734f8d9b-42b8-41b2-bcf5-abaf49d5a3c8 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 734f8d9b-42b8-41b2-bcf5-abaf49d5a3c8, 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.