Sigma rule: Powershell Store File In Alternate Data Stream

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-8d32728a9f5f, updated 2022-12-25T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title: Powershell Store File In Alternate Data Stream
Status: test
Level: medium
Author: frack113
Date: 2021-09-02
Modified: 2022-12-25
File: rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_store_file_in_alternate_data_stream.yml
Commit: ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Storing files in Alternate Data Stream (ADS) similar to Astaroth malware.

Log source

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

Detection

selection_compspec:
    ScriptBlockText|contains|all:
        - 'Start-Process'
        - '-FilePath "$env:comspec" '
        - '-ArgumentList '
        - '>'
condition: selection_compspec

False positives (as the rule lists them)

Unknown

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

T1564.004

References

https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1564.004/T1564.004.md

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_store_file_in_alternate_data_stream.yml

Sources and licences

SigmaHQ
"Powershell Store File In Alternate Data Stream" by frack113 (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_store_file_in_alternate_data_stream.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: Powershell Store File In Alternate Data Stream",
entity page, dataset version ref-8d32728a9f5f, updated 2022-12-25T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/a699b30e-d010-46c8-bbd1-ee2e26765fe9 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule a699b30e-d010-46c8-bbd1-ee2e26765fe9, 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.