Sigma rule: CobaltStrike Named Pipe

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-9c6af316c5da, updated 2022-10-31T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
CobaltStrike Named Pipe
Status
test
Level
critical
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Wojciech Lesicki
Date
2021-05-25
Modified
2022-10-31
File
rules/windows/pipe_created/pipe_created_hktl_cobaltstrike.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the creation of a named pipe as used by CobaltStrike

Log source

product
windows
category
pipe_created
definition
Note that you have to configure logging for Named Pipe Events in Sysmon config (Event ID 17 and Event ID 18). The basic configuration is in popular sysmon configuration (https://github.com/SwiftOnSecurity/sysmon-config), but it is worth verifying. You can also use other repo, e.g. https://github.com/Neo23x0/sysmon-config, https://github.com/olafhartong/sysmon-modular. How to test detection? You can always use Cobalt Strike, but also you can check powershell script from this site https://svch0st.medium.com/guide-to-named-pipes-and-hunting-for-cobalt-strike-pipes-dc46b2c5f575

Detection

selection_MSSE:
    PipeName|contains|all:
        - '\MSSE-'
        - '-server'
selection_postex:
    PipeName|startswith: '\postex_' # Also include the pipe "\postex_ssh_"
selection_status:
    PipeName|startswith: '\status_'
selection_msagent:
    PipeName|startswith: '\msagent_'
selection_mojo:
    PipeName|startswith: '\mojo_'
selection_interprocess:
    PipeName|startswith: '\interprocess_'
selection_samr:
    PipeName|startswith: '\samr_'
selection_netlogon:
    PipeName|startswith: '\netlogon_'
selection_srvsvc:
    PipeName|startswith: '\srvsvc_'
selection_lsarpc:
    PipeName|startswith: '\lsarpc_'
selection_wkssvc:
    PipeName|startswith: '\wkssvc_'
condition: 1 of selection*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.privilege-escalation
  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1055

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/pipe_created/pipe_created_hktl_cobaltstrike.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "CobaltStrike Named Pipe" by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Wojciech Lesicki (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/pipe_created/pipe_created_hktl_cobaltstrike.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: CobaltStrike Named Pipe",
entity page, dataset version ref-9c6af316c5da, updated 2022-10-31T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/d5601f8c-b26f-4ab0-9035-69e11a8d4ad2 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule d5601f8c-b26f-4ab0-9035-69e11a8d4ad2, 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.