title: DNSCat2 Powershell Implementation Detection Via Process Creation
id: b11d75d6-d7c1-11ea-87d0-0242ac130003
status: experimental
description: The PowerShell implementation of DNSCat2 calls nslookup to craft queries. Counting nslookup processes spawned by PowerShell will show hundreds or thousands of instances if PS DNSCat2 is active locally.
author: Cian Heasley
references:
    - https://github.com/lukebaggett/dnscat2-powershell
    - https://blu3-team.blogspot.com/2019/08/powershell-dns-c2-notes.html
    - https://ragged-lab.blogspot.com/2020/06/it-is-always-dns-powershell-edition.html
date: 2020/08/08
tags:
    - attack.command_and_control
    - attack.t1071
    - attack.t1071.004
    - attack.t1001.003
    - attack.t1041
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ParentImage|endswith: '\powershell.exe'
        Image|endswith: '\nslookup.exe'
        CommandLine|endswith: '\nslookup.exe'
    condition: selection | count(Image) by ParentImage > 100
fields:
    - Image
    - CommandLine
    - ParentImage
falsepositives:
    - Other powershell scripts that call nslookup.exe
level: high