Sigma rule: Remote XSL Execution Via Msxsl.EXE

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-64b4915e0f65, updated 2023-11-09T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Remote XSL Execution Via Msxsl.EXE
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel
Date
2023-11-09
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_msxsl_remote_execution.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution of the "msxsl" binary with an "http" keyword in the command line. This might indicate a potential remote execution of XSL files.

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Image|endswith: '\msxsl.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: 'http'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Msxsl is not installed by default and is deprecated, so unlikely on most systems.

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1220

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_msxsl_remote_execution.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Remote XSL Execution Via Msxsl.EXE" by Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_msxsl_remote_execution.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 XSL Execution Via Msxsl.EXE",
entity page, dataset version ref-64b4915e0f65, updated 2023-11-09T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/75d0a94e-6252-448d-a7be-d953dff527bb (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 75d0a94e-6252-448d-a7be-d953dff527bb, 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.