ESET Security Service Disabling via sc.exe (via process_creation)

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-08-30
Updated
2026-08-30

ATT&CK techniques

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects sc.exe being used to stop or disable ESET endpoint protection services such as ekrn and EraAgentSvc, a defense-evasion behavior performed by the EtherRAT deployment script before payload execution. Adversaries leverage service control to blind endpoint protection ahead of credential theft and lateral movement.

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Suspicious Windows Defender Exclusion Enumeration via reg query (via process_creation)
Malicious Windows Defender Exclusion Added via PowerShell (via process_creation)
Malicious BYOVD EDR Kill via Renamed GMER Driver by Agonizing Serpens
ESET Security Service Disabling via sc.exe (via process_creation)
Pivot detection · T1685 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.