Suspicious Process Masquerading As SvcHost.EXE


Description

Detects a suspicious process that is masquerading as the legitimate "svchost.exe" by naming its binary "svchost.exe" and executing from an uncommon location. Adversaries often disguise their malicious binaries by naming them after legitimate system processes like "svchost.exe" to evade detection.

Query · sigma

selection:
  Image|endswith: \svchost.exe
filter_main_img_location:
  Image:
  - C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe
  - C:\Windows\SysWOW64\svchost.exe
filter_main_ofn:
  OriginalFileName: svchost.exe
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

Known false positives

  • Unlikely
Raw source Suspicious Process Masquerading As SvcHost.EXE · Sigma
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Published by SigmaHQ/sigma ↗, licensed under Detection Rule License 1.1 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
title: Suspicious Process Masquerading As SvcHost.EXE
id: be58d2e2-06c8-4f58-b666-b99f6dc3b6cd
related:
    - id: 01d2e2a1-5f09-44f7-9fc1-24faa7479b6d
      type: similar
    - id: e4a6b256-3e47-40fc-89d2-7a477edd6915
      type: similar
status: test
description: |
    Detects a suspicious process that is masquerading as the legitimate "svchost.exe" by naming its binary "svchost.exe" and executing from an uncommon location.
    Adversaries often disguise their malicious binaries by naming them after legitimate system processes like "svchost.exe" to evade detection.
references:
    - https://tria.ge/240731-jh4crsycnb/behavioral2
    - https://redcanary.com/blog/threat-detection/process-masquerading/
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel
date: 2024-08-07
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1036.005
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        Image|endswith: '\svchost.exe'
    filter_main_img_location:
        Image:
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe'
            - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\svchost.exe'
    filter_main_ofn:
        OriginalFileName: 'svchost.exe'
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_svchost_masqueraded_execution/info.yml

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