Sigma rule: Netcat The Powershell Version

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-672bce75da70, updated 2023-10-27T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Netcat The Powershell Version
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
frack113
Date
2021-07-21
Modified
2023-10-27
File
rules/windows/powershell/powershell_classic/posh_pc_powercat.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Adversaries may use a non-application layer protocol for communication between host and C2 server or among infected hosts within a network

Log source

product
windows
category
ps_classic_start

Detection

selection:
    Data|contains:
        - 'powercat '
        - 'powercat.ps1'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.command-and-control
  • attack.execution
  • attack.t1095
  • attack.t1059.001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

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_classic/posh_pc_powercat.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Netcat The Powershell Version" by frack113 (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_classic/posh_pc_powercat.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: Netcat The Powershell Version",
entity page, dataset version ref-672bce75da70, updated 2023-10-27T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/c5b20776-639a-49bf-94c7-84f912b91c15 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule c5b20776-639a-49bf-94c7-84f912b91c15, 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.