- Tactics
- stealth
- Platforms
- Windows
- Reference
- attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1216.002
Description
Adversaries may abuse SyncAppvPublishingServer.vbs to proxy execution of malicious PowerShell commands. SyncAppvPublishingServer.vbs is a Visual Basic script associated with how Windows virtualizes applications (Microsoft Application Virtualization, or App-V).(Citation: 1 - appv) For example, Windows may render Win32 applications to users as virtual applications, allowing users to launch and interact with them as if they were installed locally.(Citation: 2 - appv)(Citation: 3 - appv)
The SyncAppvPublishingServer.vbs script is legitimate, may be signed by Microsoft, and is commonly executed from \System32 through the command line via wscript.exe.(Citation: 4 - appv)(Citation: 5 - appv)
Adversaries may abuse SyncAppvPublishingServer.vbs to bypass PowerShell execution restrictions and evade defensive counter measures by “living off the land.”(Citation: 6 - appv)(Citation: 4 - appv) Proxying execution may function as a trusted/signed alternative to directly invoking powershell.exe.(Citation: 7 - appv)
For example, PowerShell commands may be invoked using:(Citation: 5 - appv)
SyncAppvPublishingServer.vbs "n; {PowerShell}"
How GTK Cyber trains on this
GTK Cyber's Threat Hunting with Data Science course teaches you to build machine-learning detections for techniques like this across the MITRE ATT&CK framework, including the stealth tactic this technique falls under. Practitioner-led, focused on real detections, not memorizing technique IDs.
Related techniques
- T1006 — Direct Volume Access
- T1014 — Rootkit
- T1027 — Obfuscated Files or Information
- T1036 — Masquerading
- T1055 — Process Injection
- T1070 — Indicator Removal
- T1078 — Valid Accounts
- T1127 — Trusted Developer Utilities Proxy Execution
- T1134 — Access Token Manipulation
- T1140 — Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information
- T1197 — BITS Jobs
- T1202 — Indirect Command Execution