Visual Studio Code Tunnel Execution

Title: Visual Studio Code Tunnel Execution
Status: test
Description:Detects Visual Studio Code tunnel execution. Attackers can abuse this functionality to establish a C2 channel
References:
  -https://ipfyx.fr/post/visual-studio-code-tunnel/
  -https://badoption.eu/blog/2023/01/31/code_c2.html
  -https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/tunnels
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), citron_ninja
Date: 2023-10-25
modified:2025-10-29
Tags:

• -'attack.command-and-control'
• -'attack.t1071.001'
• -'attack.t1219'

Logsource:

• category: process_creation
• product: windows

Detection:
  selection_only_tunnel:
    OriginalFileName: 'None'
    CommandLine|endswith: '.exe tunnel'
  selection_tunnel_args:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      -'.exe tunnel'
      -'--accept-server-license-terms'

  selection_parent_tunnel:
    ParentCommandLine|endswith: ' tunnel'
    Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      -'/d /c '
      -'\servers\Stable-'
      -'code-server.cmd'

  condition:1 of selection_*
Falsepositives:
  -Legitimate use of Visual Studio Code tunnel
Level: medium