---
title: Network Connection via Mshta
description: Identifies mshta.exe making a network connection. This may indicate adversarial activity, as mshta.exe is often leveraged by adversaries to execute malicious...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/security/prebuilt-rules/rules/_deprecated/defense_evasion_mshta_making_network_connections
products:
  - Elastic Security
---

# Network Connection via Mshta
<warning>
  This rule has been deprecated as of 2020/10/30.
</warning>

Identifies mshta.exe making a network connection. This may indicate adversarial activity, as mshta.exe is often
leveraged by adversaries to execute malicious scripts and evade detection.
**Rule type**: eql
**Rule indices**:
- winlogbeat-*
- logs-endpoint.events.*
- logs-windows.*

**Rule Severity**: medium
**Risk Score**: 47
**Runs every**: 
**Searches indices from**: `now-9m`
**Maximum alerts per execution**: 100
**References**:
- [[https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2017/05/cyber-espionage-apt32.html](https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2017/05/cyber-espionage-apt32.html)](https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2017/05/cyber-espionage-apt32.html)

**Tags**:
- Elastic
- Host
- Windows
- Threat Detection
- Defense Evasion

**Version**: 100
**Rule authors**:
- Elastic

**Rule license**: Elastic License v2

## Rule Query

```eql
/* duplicate of Mshta Making Network Connections - c2d90150-0133-451c-a783-533e736c12d7 */

sequence by process.entity_id
  [process where process.name : "mshta.exe" and event.type == "start"]
  [network where process.name : "mshta.exe"]
```

**Framework:** MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic:
  - Name: Defense Evasion
  - Id: TA0005
  - Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/)](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/)
- Technique:
  - Name: Signed Binary Proxy Execution
  - Id: T1218
  - Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/)](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/)
- Sub Technique:
  - Name: Mshta
  - Id: T1218.005
  - Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/005/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/005/)](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218/005/)