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InformationalSplunk security contentNasreddine Bencherchali +1

Cisco NVM - MSHTML or MSHTA Network Execution Without URL in CLI

This analytic detects suspicious use of 'mshta.exe' or 'rundll32.exe' invoking 'mshtml.dll' or the 'RunHTMLApplication' export without including a direct HTTP/HTTPS URL in the command line. This pattern could be…

Description

This analytic detects suspicious use of 'mshta.exe' or 'rundll32.exe' invoking 'mshtml.dll' or the 'RunHTMLApplication' export without including a direct HTTP/HTTPS URL in the command line. This pattern could be associated with obfuscated script execution used by threat actors during initial access or payload staging. The absence of a visible URL may indicate attempts to evade static detections by embedding the URL via string concatenation, encoding (e.g., hex), or indirect script loaders like 'GetObject()'.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform
LinuxmacOSWindows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.

Log source category
cisco_network_visibility_module_flow_data

Known benign triggers

  • False positives should be minimal as the presence of a network connection during such executions increases the likelihood of malicious behavior.

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