Sigma rule: SQL Client Tools PowerShell Session Detection

Rule

Title

SQL Client Tools PowerShell Session Detection

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Agro (@agro_sev) oscd.communitly

Date

2020-10-13

Modified

2022-02-25

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mssql_sqltoolsps_susp_execution.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

This rule detects execution of a PowerShell code through the sqltoolsps.exe utility, which is included in the standard set of utilities supplied with the Microsoft SQL Server Management studio.
Script blocks are not logged in this case, so this utility helps to bypass protection mechanisms based on the analysis of these logs.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    - Image|endswith: '\sqltoolsps.exe'
    - ParentImage|endswith: '\sqltoolsps.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: '\sqltoolsps.exe'
filter:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\smss.exe'
condition: selection and not filter

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Direct PS command execution through SQLToolsPS.exe is uncommon, childprocess sqltoolsps.exe spawned by smss.exe is a legitimate action.

Tags

• attack.execution
• attack.stealth
• attack.t1059.001
• attack.t1127

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1059.001
• T1127

References

• https://github.com/LOLBAS-Project/LOLBAS/blob/8283d8d91552213ded165fd36deb6cb9534cb443/yml/OtherMSBinaries/Sqltoolsps.yml
• https://twitter.com/pabraeken/status/993298228840992768

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_mssql_sqltoolsps_susp_execution.yml