Execution of Suspicious File Type Extension (via process_creation)

title: Execution of Suspicious File Type Extension (via process_creation)
id: 383bb7d9-83f6-5bf9-b2ff-343da2fd47a8
status: stable
description: This rule detects whether the image specified in a process creation event doesn't refer to an ".exe" (or other known executable extension) file. This can be caused by process ghosting or other unorthodox methods to start a process. This rule might require some initial baselining to align with some third party tooling in the user environment.
references:
    - https://pentestlaboratories.com/2021/12/08/process-ghosting/
author: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-07-25
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.defense-evasion
    - attack.t1036
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    known_image_extension:
        Image|endswith:
            - '.bin'
            - '.cgi'
            - '.com'
            - '.exe'
            - '.scr'
            - '.tmp'
    filter_main_image:
        Image:
            - 'System'
            - 'Registry'
            - 'MemCompression'
            - 'vmmem'
    filter_main_msi_installers:
        Image|contains: ':\Windows\Installer\MSI'
    filter_main_driver_store:
        Image|contains: ':\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\'
    filter_main_msi_rollbackfiles:
        Image|contains: ':\Config.Msi\'
        Image|endswith:
            - '.rbf'
            - '.rbs'
    filter_main_windows_temp:
        - ParentImage|contains: ':\Windows\Temp\'
        - Image|contains: ':\Windows\Temp\'
    filter_main_deleted:
        Image|contains: ':\$Extend\$Deleted\'
    filter_main_empty:
        Image:
            - '-'
            - ''
    filter_main_null:
        Image:
    filter_optional_avira:
        ParentImage|contains: ':\ProgramData\Avira\'
    filter_optional_nvidia:
        Image|contains: 'NVIDIA\NvBackend\'
        Image|endswith: '.dat'
    filter_optional_winpakpro:
        Image|contains:
            - ':\Program Files (x86)\WINPAKPRO\'
            - ':\Program Files\WINPAKPRO\'
        Image|endswith: '.ngn'
    filter_optional_myq_server:
        Image|endswith:
            - ':\Program Files (x86)\MyQ\Server\pcltool.dll'
            - ':\Program Files\MyQ\Server\pcltool.dll'
    filter_optional_wsl:
        Image|contains|all:
            - '\AppData\Local\Packages\'
            - '\LocalState\rootfs\'
    filter_optional_lzma_exe:
        Image|endswith: '\LZMA_EXE'
    filter_optional_firefox:
        Image|contains: ':\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\'
    filter_optional_docker:
        ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\System32\services.exe'
        Image|endswith: 'com.docker.service'
    condition: not known_image_extension and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium