Quick Answer
The answer is phishing with a malicious macro. This technique is correct because the process tree reveals a Microsoft Word instance spawning a PowerShell process that executes encoded commands and makes outbound connections, which is the hallmark of a macro-based payload designed to bypass security controls by using PowerShell as a living-off-the-land binary. On the Microsoft Security Operations Analyst SC-200 exam, this scenario tests your ability to trace attack chains from initial access to execution, with a common trap being to confuse this with lateral movement or service-based execution—remember, the origin is a user-opened document, not a network service. A key memory tip is to associate "Word spawns PowerShell" with "phishing macro," as attackers frequently use encoded PowerShell to download additional payloads or establish C2 channels without writing malware to disk.
This SC-200 practice question tests your understanding of perform threat hunting. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
During a threat hunting exercise, an analyst discovers a suspicious PowerShell process that executed encoded commands and made outbound connections to an unknown IP address. The process tree shows it was spawned by a Microsoft Word instance. What is the most likely attack technique being observed?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Service Execution
Why wrong: The process is spawned by Word, not a service.
Phishing with malicious macro
Word spawning PowerShell with encoded commands is typical of macro-based phishing.
Execution via Rundll32
Why wrong: No rundll32 involvement is described.
Lateral Movement via WMI
Why wrong: No lateral movement is indicated.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Phishing with malicious macro
Option B is correct because the scenario describes a malicious document (Word) executing PowerShell with encoded commands, which is classic phishing with macro-based payload. Option A is wrong because execution via rundll32 is not indicated. Option C is wrong because the attack originates from a document, not a service. Option D is wrong because there is no evidence of lateral movement.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Service Execution
Why it's wrong here
The process is spawned by Word, not a service.
Phishing with malicious macro
Why this is correct
Word spawning PowerShell with encoded commands is typical of macro-based phishing.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Execution via Rundll32
Why it's wrong here
No rundll32 involvement is described.
Lateral Movement via WMI
Why it's wrong here
No lateral movement is indicated.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SC-200 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Perform threat hunting — This question tests Perform threat hunting — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
The correct answer is: Phishing with malicious macro — Option B is correct because the scenario describes a malicious document (Word) executing PowerShell with encoded commands, which is classic phishing with macro-based payload. Option A is wrong because execution via rundll32 is not indicated. Option C is wrong because the attack originates from a document, not a service. Option D is wrong because there is no evidence of lateral movement.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related SC-200 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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