Sigma rule: Uncommon PowerShell Hosts

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-316bc4e6811d, updated 2025-10-22T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Uncommon PowerShell Hosts
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Roberto Rodriguez @Cyb3rWard0g
Date
2019-08-11
Modified
2025-10-22
File
rules-threat-hunting/windows/powershell/powershell_classic/posh_pc_alternate_powershell_hosts.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects alternate PowerShell hosts potentially bypassing detections looking for powershell.exe

Log source

product
windows
category
ps_classic_start

Detection

selection:
    Data|contains: 'HostApplication='
# Note: Powershell Logging Data is localized. Meaning that "HostApplication" field will be translated to a different field on a non english layout. This rule doesn't take this into account due to the sheer ammount of possibilities. It's up to the user to add these cases.
filter_main_ps:
    Data|contains:
        - 'HostApplication=?:/Windows/System32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0/powershell' # In some cases powershell was invoked with inverted slashes
        - 'HostApplication=?:/Windows/SysWOW64/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0/powershell' # In some cases powershell was invoked with inverted slashes
        - 'HostApplication=?:\Windows\System32\sdiagnhost.exe'
        - 'HostApplication=?:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell'
        - 'HostApplication=?:\Windows\SysWOW64\sdiagnhost.exe'
        - 'HostApplication=?:\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell'
        - 'HostApplication=powershell'
filter_optional_citrix:
    Data|contains: 'Citrix\ConfigSync\ConfigSync.ps1'
filter_optional_hexnode:
    Data|contains: 'HostApplication=C:\Hexnode\Hexnode Agent\Current\HexnodeAgent.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Programs using PowerShell directly without invocation of a dedicated interpreter
  • MSP Detection Searcher
  • Citrix ConfigSync.ps1

Tags

  • attack.execution
  • attack.t1059.001
  • detection.threat-hunting

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-threat-hunting/windows/powershell/powershell_classic/posh_pc_alternate_powershell_hosts.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Uncommon PowerShell Hosts" by Roberto Rodriguez @Cyb3rWard0g (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-threat-hunting/windows/powershell/powershell_classic/posh_pc_alternate_powershell_hosts.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: Uncommon PowerShell Hosts",
entity page, dataset version ref-316bc4e6811d, updated 2025-10-22T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/d7326048-328b-4d5e-98af-86e84b17c765 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule d7326048-328b-4d5e-98af-86e84b17c765, 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.