Sigma rule: NTFS Alternate Data Stream

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-2c7584194b7e, updated 2022-12-25T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
NTFS Alternate Data Stream
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Sami Ruohonen
Date
2018-07-24
Modified
2022-12-25
File
rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_ntfs_ads_access.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects writing data into NTFS alternate data streams from powershell. Needs Script Block Logging.

Log source

product
windows
category
ps_script
definition
Requirements: Script Block Logging must be enabled

Detection

selection_content:
    ScriptBlockText|contains:
        - set-content
        - add-content
selection_stream:
    ScriptBlockText|contains: '-stream'
condition: all of selection*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1564.004
  • attack.execution
  • attack.t1059.001

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/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_ntfs_ads_access.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "NTFS Alternate Data Stream" by Sami Ruohonen (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_ntfs_ads_access.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: NTFS Alternate Data Stream",
entity page, dataset version ref-2c7584194b7e, updated 2022-12-25T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/8c521530-5169-495d-a199-0a3a881ad24e (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 8c521530-5169-495d-a199-0a3a881ad24e, 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.