Suspicious Windows Server Update Service Child Process


Description

Identifies suspicious child processes spawned from the Windows Server Update Service. This may indicate successful exploitation and execution via CVE-2025-59287.

Query · eql

process where event.type == "start" and
 (
  (process.parent.name : "w3wp.exe" and process.parent.args : "WsusPool") or
  process.parent.name : "WsusService.exe" or
  descendant of [process where event.action == "start" and process.name : "WsusService.exe"] or
  descendant of [process where event.action == "start" and process.name : "w3wp.exe" and process.args : "WsusPool"]
  ) and
  not process.executable : ("C:\\Windows\\System32\\conhost.exe",
                            "C:\\Windows\\system32\\WerFault.exe",
                            "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\*\\cvtres.exe",
                            "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\*\\csc.exe",
                            "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\*\\vbc.exe")
Raw source Suspicious Windows Server Update Service Child Process · Elastic TOML
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Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Identifies suspicious child processes spawned from the Windows Server Update Service. This may indicate successful
exploitation and execution via CVE-2025-59287.
"""
id = "b2768980-3858-4bc7-a08e-c9bd9d6bb314"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Suspicious Windows Server Update Service Child Process"
os_list = ["windows"]
reference = [
    "https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-59287",
    "https://hawktrace.com/blog/CVE-2025-59287",
]
version = "1.0.1"

query = '''
process where event.type == "start" and
 (
  (process.parent.name : "w3wp.exe" and process.parent.args : "WsusPool") or
  process.parent.name : "WsusService.exe" or
  descendant of [process where event.action == "start" and process.name : "WsusService.exe"] or
  descendant of [process where event.action == "start" and process.name : "w3wp.exe" and process.args : "WsusPool"]
  ) and
  not process.executable : ("C:\\Windows\\System32\\conhost.exe",
                            "C:\\Windows\\system32\\WerFault.exe",
                            "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\*\\cvtres.exe",
                            "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\*\\csc.exe",
                            "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework64\\*\\vbc.exe")
'''

min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"
optional_actions = []
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0
tree = true

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1190"
name = "Exploit Public-Facing Application"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1190/"


[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0001"
name = "Initial Access"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0001/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "7.15.0"

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