Sigma rule: Webshell Detection With Command Line Keywords

Rule

Title

Webshell Detection With Command Line Keywords

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Jonhnathan Ribeiro, Anton Kutepov, oscd.community, Chad Hudson, Matt Anderson

Date

2017-01-01

Modified

2026-07-14

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_webshell_recon_commands_and_processes.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects certain command line parameters often used during reconnaissance activity via web shells

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_webserver_image:
    ParentImage|endswith:
        - '\w3wp.exe'
        - '\php-cgi.exe'
        - '\nginx.exe'
        - '\httpd.exe'
        - '\caddy.exe'
        - '\ws_tomcatservice.exe'
selection_webserver_characteristics_tomcat1:
    ParentImage|endswith:
        - '\java.exe'
        - '\javaw.exe'
    ParentImage|contains:
        - '-tomcat-'
        - '\tomcat'
selection_webserver_characteristics_tomcat2:
    ParentImage|endswith:
        - '\java.exe'
        - '\javaw.exe'
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'catalina.jar'
        - 'CATALINA_HOME'
selection_susp_net_utility:
    OriginalFileName:
        - 'net.exe'
        - 'net1.exe'
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ' user '
        - ' use '
        - ' group '
selection_susp_ping_utility:
    OriginalFileName: 'ping.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: ' -n '
selection_susp_change_dir:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '&cd&echo'  # china chopper web shell
        - 'cd /d '  # https://www.computerhope.com/cdhlp.htm
selection_susp_wmic_utility:
    OriginalFileName: 'wmic.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: ' /node:'
selection_susp_powershell_cli:
    Image|endswith:
        - '\cmd.exe'
        - '\powershell.exe'
        - '\pwsh.exe'
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ' -enc '
        - ' -EncodedCommand '
        - ' -w hidden '
        - ' -windowstyle hidden'
        - '.WebClient).Download'
selection_susp_misc_discovery_binaries:
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\dsquery.exe'
          - '\find.exe'
          - '\findstr.exe'
          - '\ipconfig.exe'
          - '\netstat.exe'
          - '\nslookup.exe'
          - '\pathping.exe'
          - '\quser.exe'
          - '\schtasks.exe'
          - '\systeminfo.exe'
          - '\tasklist.exe'
          - '\tracert.exe'
          - '\wevtutil.exe'
          - '\whoami.exe'
    - OriginalFileName:
          - 'dsquery.exe'
          - 'find.exe'
          - 'findstr.exe'
          - 'ipconfig.exe'
          - 'netstat.exe'
          - 'nslookup.exe'
          - 'pathping.exe'
          - 'quser.exe'
          - 'schtasks.exe'
          - 'sysinfo.exe'
          - 'tasklist.exe'
          - 'tracert.exe'
          - 'VSSADMIN.EXE'
          - 'wevtutil.exe'
          - 'whoami.exe'
selection_susp_misc_discovery_commands:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ' Test-NetConnection '
        - 'dir \'  # remote dir: dir \<redacted IP #3>\C$:\windows\temp\*.exe
condition: 1 of selection_webserver_* and 1 of selection_susp_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.persistence
• attack.discovery
• attack.t1505.003
• attack.t1018
• attack.t1033
• attack.t1087

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1018
• T1033
• T1087
• T1505.003

References

• https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2013/08/breaking-down-the-china-chopper-web-shell-part-ii.html
• https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/bumblebee-webshell-xhunt-campaign/
• https://www.huntress.com/blog/threat-advisory-oh-no-cleo-cleo-software-actively-being-exploited-in-the-wild

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_webshell_recon_commands_and_processes.yml