
Summary
This detection rule is designed to identify potentially insecure changes made to PowerShell's execution policies, which could indicate malicious activity. The rule functions by monitoring process creation events on Windows systems for any command-line invocations of PowerShell (either 'powershell.exe' or 'pwsh.exe') that modify the execution policy to insecure levels, specifically those involving 'Bypass' or 'Unrestricted'. Changes to these policies can enable the execution of potentially harmful scripts without restriction, thus heightening the risk of system exploitation. The conditions checked include the presence of specific flags in the command line, particularly those indicating the execution policy settings. False positives can occur when legitimate administrative scripts involve changing execution policies for necessary operational reasons. The rule highlights the importance of monitoring PowerShell usage, especially regarding execution policies, to prevent or detect malicious script execution.
Categories
- Windows
- Endpoint
Data Sources
- Process
Created: 2021-11-01