XSL Script Execution Via WMIC.EXE — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Timur Zinniatullin, oscd.community, Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel. Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2019-10-21 / 2026-01-24.

{
  "category": "process_creation",
  "product": "windows"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: b2a6e7ab1403d49d78a67004b22ec7a4660e57943549ab9fdb54f37f43e2ea51

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: XSL Script Execution Via WMIC.EXE
id: 05c36dd6-79d6-4a9a-97da-3db20298ab2d
related:
    - id: 06ce37c2-61ab-4f05-9ff5-b1a96d18ae32
      type: similar
    - id: 8d63dadf-b91b-4187-87b6-34a1114577ea
      type: similar
status: test
description: |
    Detects the execution of WMIC with the "format" flag to potentially load local XSL files.
    Adversaries abuse this functionality to execute arbitrary files while potentially bypassing application whitelisting defenses.
    Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) files are commonly used to describe the processing and rendering of data within XML files.
references:
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1220/T1220.md
author: Timur Zinniatullin, oscd.community, Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel
date: 2019-10-21
modified: 2026-01-24
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1047
    - attack.t1220
    - attack.execution
    - attack.t1059.005
    - attack.t1059.007
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\wmic.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'wmic.exe'
        - Hashes|contains:  # Sysmon field hashes contains all types
              - 'IMPHASH=1B1A3F43BF37B5BFE60751F2EE2F326E'
              - 'IMPHASH=37777A96245A3C74EB217308F3546F4C'
              - 'IMPHASH=9D87C9D67CE724033C0B40CC4CA1B206'
              - 'IMPHASH=B12619881D79C3ACADF45E752A58554A'
              - 'IMPHASH=16A48C3CABF98A9DC1BF02C07FE1EA00'
    selection_cmd:
        CommandLine|contains|windash: '-format:'     # wmic process list -FORMAT /? or wmic process list /FORMAT /?
    filter_main_known_format:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'Format:List'
            - 'Format:htable'
            - 'Format:hform'
            - 'Format:table'
            - 'Format:mof'
            - 'Format:value'
            - 'Format:rawxml'
            - 'Format:xml'
            - 'Format:csv'
    filter_main_remote_operation: # Covered by 8d63dadf-b91b-4187-87b6-34a1114577ea
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '://'
            - '\\\\'
    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
    - WMIC.exe FP depend on scripts and administrative methods used in the monitored environment.
    - Static format arguments - https://petri.com/command-line-wmi-part-3
level: medium

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• WMIC.exe FP depend on scripts and administrative methods used in the monitored environment.
• Static format arguments - https://petri.com/command-line-wmi-part-3

Source references

• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1220/T1220.md