huntrule

Suspicious Execution of Windows Kernel Debugger (via process_creation)

This rule detects execution of the Windows Kernel Debugger "kd.exe".

SigmamediumWindowsv1
sigma
title: Suspicious Execution of Windows Kernel Debugger (via process_creation)
id: ce999f78-a272-58de-a4e4-6e922ef6508b
status: stable
description: This rule detects execution of the Windows Kernel Debugger "kd.exe".
references:
    - Internal Research
author: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-01-13
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.stealth
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        - Image|endswith: '\kd.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'kd.exe'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium

Known false positives

  • Unknown

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