Potential PsExec Remote Execution — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems). Source status: test; severity: high. Source dates: 2023-02-28 / 2025-09-01.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 5b08d0cd1ef84cf619d7254b6b131dfd4d4d6ae4322c8e65acb9ff8fa6bdaf08

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: Potential PsExec Remote Execution
id: ea011323-7045-460b-b2d7-0f7442ea6b38
status: test
description: Detects potential psexec command that initiate execution on a remote systems via common commandline flags used by the utility
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec
    - https://www.poweradmin.com/paexec/
    - https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2020/10/kegtap-and-singlemalt-with-a-ransomware-chaser.html
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2023-02-28
modified: 2025-09-01
tags:
    - attack.resource-development
    - attack.t1587.001
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        # Accepting EULA in commandline - often used in automated attacks
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - 'accepteula'
            - ' -u '
            - ' -p '
            - ' \\\\'
    filter_main_localhost:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '\\\\localhost'
            - '\\\\127.'
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unknown

Source references

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/psexec
• https://www.poweradmin.com/paexec/
• https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2020/10/kegtap-and-singlemalt-with-a-ransomware-chaser.html