Mapped every skill to NIST CSF 2.0 subcategory IDs (GV/ID/PR/DE/RS/RC functions)
based on subdomain and content analysis. Restores 11 skills corrupted during
prior rebase, re-enriching with ATLAS, D3FEND, NIST AI RMF, and CSF 2.0 fields.
All 754 skills now carry structured mappings for all 5 security frameworks:
- MITRE ATT&CK (in tags)
- MITRE ATLAS v5.5 (atlas_techniques)
- MITRE D3FEND v1.3 (d3fend_techniques)
- NIST AI RMF 1.0 (nist_ai_rmf)
- NIST CSF 2.0 (nist_csf)
Detect PowerShell Empire framework artifacts in Windows event logs by identifying Base64 encoded launcher patterns, default user agents, staging URL structures, stager IOCs, and known Empire module signatures in Script Block Logging events.
cybersecurity
threat-hunting
PowerShell-Empire
threat-hunting
Script-Block-Logging
base64
stager
C2
MITRE-ATT&CK
T1059.001
forensics
1.0
mahipal
Apache-2.0
Executable Denylisting
Execution Isolation
File Metadata Consistency Validation
Content Format Conversion
File Content Analysis
GOVERN-1.1
MEASURE-2.7
MANAGE-3.1
DE.CM-01
DE.AE-02
DE.AE-07
ID.RA-05
Analyzing PowerShell Empire Artifacts
Overview
PowerShell Empire is a post-exploitation framework consisting of listeners, stagers, and agents. Its artifacts leave detectable traces in Windows event logs, particularly PowerShell Script Block Logging (Event ID 4104) and Module Logging (Event ID 4103). This skill analyzes event logs for Empire's default launcher string (powershell -noP -sta -w 1 -enc), Base64 encoded payloads containing System.Net.WebClient and FromBase64String, known module invocations (Invoke-Mimikatz, Invoke-Kerberoast, Invoke-TokenManipulation), and staging URL patterns.
When to Use
When investigating security incidents that require analyzing powershell empire artifacts
When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques
Prerequisites
Python 3.9+ with access to Windows Event Log or exported EVTX files
PowerShell Script Block Logging (Event ID 4104) enabled via Group Policy
Module Logging (Event ID 4103) enabled for comprehensive coverage
Key Detection Patterns
Default launcher — powershell -noP -sta -w 1 -enc followed by Base64 blob
mukul975
efca3ec611