Windows Protocol Tunneling with Plink — Detection Rule
This analytic detects the use of Plink (including renamed versions like pvhost.exe) for protocol tunneling, which may be used for egress or lateral movement within an organization. It identifies specific command-line options (-R, -L, -D, -l, -N, -P, -pw) commonly used for port forwarding and tunneling by analyzing process execution logs from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. This activity is significant as it may indicate an attempt to bypass network security controls or establish unauthorized connections. If confirmed malicious, this could allow an attacker to exfiltrate data, move laterally across the network, or maintain persistent access, posing a severe threat to the organization's security. The detection covers both the original Plink executable and potential renamed versions, enhancing its ability to catch evasion attempts.