Sigma rule: New Network Trace Capture Started Via Netsh.EXE

Rule

Title

New Network Trace Capture Started Via Netsh.EXE

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Kutepov Anton, oscd.community

Date

2019-10-24

Modified

2023-02-13

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_netsh_packet_capture.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution of netsh with the "trace" flag in order to start a network capture

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\netsh.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'netsh.exe'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'trace'
        - 'start'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate administration activity

Tags

• attack.discovery
• attack.credential-access
• attack.t1040

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1040

References

• https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/canberrapfe/2012/03/30/capture-a-network-trace-without-installing-anything-capture-a-network-trace-of-a-reboot/
• https://klausjochem.me/2016/02/03/netsh-the-cyber-attackers-tool-of-choice/

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_netsh_packet_capture.yml