RunningRAT Service Persistence via svchost NETSYSDDL Group (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1543.003Windows Service
Priv Esc
- T1543.003Windows Service
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects svchost.exe launched with the NETSYSDDL service group used by RunningRAT to load its malicious DLL under a masqueraded service. Adversaries leverage the svchost hosting model so the RAT executes as a service and survives reboots while blending into legitimate host processes.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1543.003 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious RustDesk Remote Access Service Installation via sc (via process_creation)

Malicious Service Creation Pointing to Public Data File via sc (via process_creation)

EAP Service Activation by Liontail Framework for DLL Sideloading - Via Command (via process_creation)

Malicious Service Permissions Hijacked for Privileges Abuse - Service (via process_creation)

Malicious Service Abuse with Backdoored "command Failure" - Service (via process_creation)

Malicious Service Permissions Hijacked for Privileges Abuse - Reg via Command (via process_creation)

Malicious Mimikatz Driver Registration - Reg via Sysmon (via registry_event)

Suspicious PSexec Service Installation (via security)

Suspicious Impact of 'SMOKEDHAM Backdoor' with MSDTC Service Privilege Escalation via Command Line (via process_creation)

RunningRAT Service Persistence via svchost NETSYSDDL Group (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1543.003 · 9 related

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

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →