title: Windows Command Shell (T1059.003)
id: df00tech-t1059-003
status: experimental
description: "Adversaries may abuse the Windows command shell for execution. The Windows command shell (cmd.exe) is the primary command prompt on Windows systems. The Windows command prompt can be used to control almost any aspect of a system, with various permission levels required for different subsets of commands. The command prompt can be invoked remotely via Remote Services such as SSH. Batch files (.bat or .cmd) also provide the shell with a list of sequential commands to run. Adversaries may leverage cmd.exe to execute various commands and payloads, including single commands, interactive shells with C2 forwarding, and batch file execution."
references:
  - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/003/
  - https://df00tech.com/detections/T1059.003
author: df00tech
date: 2026/04/16
tags:
  - attack.t1059.003
# NOTE: logsource is auto-derived and may need adjustment for your environment
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  # This detection logic could not be auto-translated; see the KQL/SPL query on df00tech.
  selection:
    EventID: '*'
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - System administrators using cmd.exe with certutil for legitimate certificate operations
  - Deployment scripts that create scheduled tasks for software installation or patching
  - Backup solutions that interact with VSS shadow copies during backup operations
  - IT automation tools using batch files for endpoint configuration
level: high