Sigma rule: PsExec Pipes Artifacts

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-eaf9a0318755, updated 2023-08-07T00:00:00.000Z.

SigmaHQ marks this rule as deprecated.

Rule

Title
PsExec Pipes Artifacts
Status
deprecated
Level
medium
Author
Nikita Nazarov, oscd.community
Date
2020/05/10
Modified
2023/08/07
File
deprecated/windows/pipe_created_psexec_pipes_artifacts.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detecting use PsExec via Pipe Creation/Access to pipes

Log source

product
windows
category
pipe_created
definition
Note that you have to configure logging for Named Pipe Events in Sysmon config (Event ID 17 and Event ID 18). The basic configuration is in popular sysmon configuration (https://github.com/SwiftOnSecurity/sysmon-config), but it is worth verifying. You can also use other repo, e.g. https://github.com/Neo23x0/sysmon-config, https://github.com/olafhartong/sysmon-modular. How to test detection? You can check powershell script from this site https://svch0st.medium.com/guide-to-named-pipes-and-hunting-for-cobalt-strike-pipes-dc46b2c5f575

Detection

selection:
    PipeName|startswith:
        - 'psexec'
        - 'paexec'
        - 'remcom'
        - 'csexec'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Legitimate Administrator activity

Tags

  • attack.lateral_movement
  • attack.t1021.002
  • attack.execution
  • attack.t1569.002

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/deprecated/windows/pipe_created_psexec_pipes_artifacts.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "PsExec Pipes Artifacts" by Nikita Nazarov, oscd.community (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/deprecated/windows/pipe_created_psexec_pipes_artifacts.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: PsExec Pipes Artifacts",
entity page, dataset version ref-eaf9a0318755, updated 2023-08-07T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/9e77ed63-2ecf-4c7b-b09d-640834882028 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 9e77ed63-2ecf-4c7b-b09d-640834882028, 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.