- AN0576 · Analytic 0576 — Cause→effect chain: (1) A user or service launches an indirection utility (e.g., forfiles.exe, pcalua.exe, wsl.exe, scriptrunner.exe, ssh.exe with -o ProxyCommand/LocalCommand). (2) That utility spawns a secondary program/command (PowerShell, cmd, msiexec, regsvr32, curl, arbitrary EXE) and/or opens outbound network connections. (3) Optional precursor modification of SSH config to persist LocalCommand/ProxyCommand. Correlate process creation, command/script content, file access to %USERPROFILE%\.ssh\config, and network connections from the utility or its child.
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This page is part of Threat Matrix, the public browser workspace for the main AdversaryGraph platform. Use it for ATT&CK pivots, actor and technique context, similarity leads, detection coverage review, and analyst-ready investigation paths.
Validation disclaimer: TTP overlap, actor similarity, generated summaries, and coverage findings are investigation leads, not attribution proof or operational validation without analyst review.
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Indirect Command Execution
Adversaries may abuse utilities that allow for command execution to bypass security restrictions that limit the use of command-line interpreters. Various Windows utilities may be used to execute commands, possibly without invoking [cmd](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0106). For example, [Forfiles](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0193), the Program Compatibility Assistant (`pcalua.exe`), components of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), `Scriptrunner.exe`, as well as other utilities may invoke the execution of programs and commands from a [Command and Scripting Interpreter](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059), Run window, or via scripts.(Citation: VectorSec ForFiles Aug 2017)(Citation: Evi1cg Forfiles Nov 2017)(Citation: Secure Team - Scriptrunner.exe)(Citation: SS64)(Citation: Bleeping Computer - Scriptrunner.exe) Adversaries may also abuse the `ssh.exe` binary to execute malicious commands via the `ProxyCommand` and `LocalCommand` options, which can be invoked via the `-o` flag or by modifying the SSH config file.(Citation: Threat Actor Targets the Manufacturing industry with Lumma Stealer and Amadey Bot) Adversaries may abuse these features for [Stealth](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005), specifically to perform arbitrary execution while subverting detections and/or mitigation controls (such as Group Policy) that limit/prevent the usage of [cmd](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0106) or file extensions more commonly associated with malicious payloads.
Open detection, hunting, mitigation, and evidence workspace
Detection logic
Monitor and analyze logs from host-based detection mechanisms, such as Sysmon, for events such as process creations that include or are resulting from parameters associated with invoking programs/commands/files and/or spawning child processes/network connections.
Observed actors
Correlated CTI and IR reports
Cyber Knowledge context
Use these routes to move from the ATT&CK behavior into explanation, implementation, evidence handling, validation, and defensive operations. Relevance is generated from explicit identifiers/names and governed topic mappings; it is not attribution evidence.
Controlled dynamic behavior and differential observation
Malware Analysis & Reverse Engineering · Tactic learning route · 24/100Module 4 — Detection engineering and detection as code
Blue Team & Defensive Security · Tactic learning route · 24/100Disk, file-system, and persistence forensics
Digital Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR) · Tactic learning route · 24/100
Malware Analysis & Reverse Engineering · Tactic learning route · 24/100Module 4 — Detection engineering and detection as code
Blue Team & Defensive Security · Tactic learning route · 24/100Disk, file-system, and persistence forensics
Digital Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR) · Tactic learning route · 24/100
MITRE mitigations
No ATT&CK mitigation relationship is published for this technique. Apply risk-based controls and verify scope.
MITRE detection strategies and analytics
Continue the investigation
Attack tools, simulations and detection rules
Follow explicit source relationships into the reference modules. Linked procedures and detectors are not claims of live validation or actor attribution.
- T1202 Indirect Command Execution simulation — Exact active technique ID
- T1202 detection rules — Exact active technique ID; not actor-specific detector coverage