ConvertTo-SecureString Cmdlet Usage Via CommandLine

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 * Copyright 2025 Google LLC
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
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 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */

rule convertto_securestring_cmdlet_usage_via_commandline {

  meta:
    author = "Teymur Kheirkhabarov (idea), Vasiliy Burov (rule), oscd.community, Tim Shelton"
    description = "Detects usage of the \"ConvertTo-SecureString\" cmdlet via the commandline. Which is fairly uncommon and could indicate potential suspicious activity"
    reference = "https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_powershell_cmdline_convertto_securestring.yml"
    license = "https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License/blob/main/LICENSE.Detection.Rules.md"
    rule_name = "ConvertTo-SecureString Cmdlet Usage Via CommandLine"
    sigma_uuid = "74403157-20f5-415d-89a7-c505779585cf"
    sigma_status = "test"
    rule_id = "mr_e637bcef-5047-4ef6-a51d-2108ce1ee0b5"
    tactic = "TA0002"
    technique = "T1059.001"
    type = "Detection"
    data_source = "Sysmon"
    platform = "Windows"
    severity = "Medium"
    priority = "Medium"
    false_positives = "Legitimate use to pass password to different powershell commands"

  events:
    $process.metadata.event_type = "PROCESS_LAUNCH"
    (
        re.regex($process.target.process.file.full_path, `\\powershell\.exe$`) nocase or
        re.regex($process.target.process.file.full_path, `\\pwsh\.exe$`) nocase or
        $process.src.process.file.full_path = "powershell.exe" nocase or
        $process.src.process.file.full_path = "pwsh.dll" nocase
    )
    strings.contains(strings.to_lower($process.target.process.command_line), "convertto-securestring")
    $process.principal.hostname = $hostname

  match:
    $hostname over 5m

    outcome:
      //example usage of specifying test user and hostname to adjust risk score
      $risk_score = max(if($process.principal.user.userid = "user" and $process.principal.hostname = "hostname", 0, 15))
      $principal_process_pid = array_distinct($process.principal.process.pid)
      $principal_process_command_line = array_distinct($process.principal.process.command_line)
      $principal_process_file_sha256 = array_distinct($process.principal.process.file.sha256)
      $principal_process_file_full_path = array_distinct($process.principal.process.file.full_path)
      $principal_process_product_specfic_process_id = array_distinct($process.principal.process.product_specific_process_id)
      $principal_process_parent_process_product_specfic_process_id = array_distinct($process.principal.process.parent_process.product_specific_process_id)
      $target_process_pid = array_distinct($process.target.process.pid)
      $target_process_command_line = array_distinct($process.target.process.command_line)
      $target_process_file_sha256 = array_distinct($process.target.process.file.sha256)
      $target_process_file_full_path = array_distinct($process.target.process.file.full_path)
      $target_process_product_specfic_process_id = array_distinct($process.target.process.product_specific_process_id)
      $principal_user_userid = array_distinct($process.principal.user.userid)
      $log_type = array_distinct(strings.concat($process.metadata.log_type,"/",$process.metadata.product_event_type))

  condition:
    $process
}