Alternate PowerShell Hosts Pipe

Title: Alternate PowerShell Hosts Pipe
Status: test
Description:Detects alternate PowerShell hosts potentially bypassing detections looking for powershell.exe
References:
  -https://threathunterplaybook.com/hunts/windows/190610-PwshAlternateHosts/notebook.html
  -https://threathunterplaybook.com/hunts/windows/190410-LocalPwshExecution/notebook.html
Author: Roberto Rodriguez @Cyb3rWard0g, Tim Shelton
Date: 2019-09-12
modified:2025-10-07
Tags:

• -'attack.execution'
• -'attack.t1059.001'

Logsource:

• 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 check powershell script from this site https://svch0st.medium.com/guide-to-named-pipes-and-hunting-for-cobalt-strike-pipes-dc46b2c5f575

Detection:
  selection:
    PipeName|startswith: '\PSHost'
  filter_main_generic:
    - Image|contains:
      - ':\Program Files\PowerShell\7-preview\pwsh.exe'
      - ':\Program Files\PowerShell\7\pwsh.exe'
      - ':\Windows\system32\dsac.exe'
      - ':\Windows\system32\inetsrv\w3wp.exe'
      - ':\Windows\System32\sdiagnhost.exe'
      - ':\Windows\system32\ServerManager.exe'
      - ':\Windows\system32\wbem\wmiprvse.exe'
      - ':\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell_ise.exe'
      - ':\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe'
      - ':\Windows\System32\wsmprovhost.exe'
      - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell_ise.exe'
      - ':\Windows\SysWOW64\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe'
    - Image|contains|all:
      - 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.PowerShellPreview'
      - '\pwsh.exe'
    - Image|contains|all:
      - '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Microsoft.PowerShellPreview'
      - '\pwsh.exe'
  filter_optional_sqlserver:
    Image|startswith:
      -'C:\Program Files (x86)\'
      -'C:\Program Files\'

    Image|contains: '\Microsoft SQL Server\'
    Image|endswith: '\Tools\Binn\SQLPS.exe'
  filter_optional_azure_connected_machine_agent:
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\AzureConnectedMachineAgent\GCArcService'
    Image|endswith: '\GC\gc_worker.exe'
  filter_optional_citrix:
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\Citrix\'
  filter_optional_exchange:
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Exchange Server\'
  filter_main_null:
    Image: 'None'
  condition:selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
Falsepositives:
  -Programs using PowerShell directly without invocation of a dedicated interpreter.
Level: medium