Remote XSL Execution Via Msxsl.EXE — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel. Source status: test; severity: high. Source dates: 2023-11-09 / not supplied.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 5a3611eed383821871e48ff3830a21ad7cb144f3a2226db424de8d2dac88b12c

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: Remote XSL Execution Via Msxsl.EXE
id: 75d0a94e-6252-448d-a7be-d953dff527bb
status: test
description: Detects the execution of the "msxsl" binary with an "http" keyword in the command line. This might indicate a potential remote execution of XSL files.
references:
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1220/T1220.md
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/Msxsl/
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel
date: 2023-11-09
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1220
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        Image|endswith: '\msxsl.exe'
        CommandLine|contains: 'http'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Msxsl is not installed by default and is deprecated, so unlikely on most systems.
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Msxsl is not installed by default and is deprecated, so unlikely on most systems.

Source references

• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1220/T1220.md
• https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/OtherMSBinaries/Msxsl/