Mshta.exe launched with suspicious arguments

Cortex XDR Analytics Alert Reference by Alert name

Product
Cortex XDR
Last date published
2024-09-24
Category
Analytics Alert Reference
Order
Alert name

Synopsis

Activation Period

14 Days

Training Period

30 Days

Test Period

N/A (single event)

Deduplication Period

1 Day

Required Data

  • Requires:
    • XDR Agent

Detection Modules

Detector Tags

ATT&CK Tactic

Defense Evasion (TA0005)

ATT&CK Technique

System Binary Proxy Execution: Mshta (T1218.005)

Severity

Low

Description

Microsoft HTML application host process has been launched with suspicious arguments, which may indicate malicious intent.

Attacker's Goals

Gain code execution on the host and evade security controls.

Investigative actions

Check whether the executing process is benign, and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.