Suspicious Security Product Process Termination via Named Utility

PremiumReviewedSigma · Medium · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-09-28
Updated
2026-09-28

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 command-line termination of the Cylance security service process, observed when INC ransomware operators killed endpoint protection to evade defenses. The command references the CylanceSvc.exe process together with a kill or process-target flag. Disabling running security products is a precursor to unimpeded lateral movement and encryption.

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Malicious Windows Defender Real-Time Protection Disabled via Registry
Malicious Vulnerable Driver Load via TfSysMon.sys BYOVD (via driver_load)
Suspicious Defendnot Antivirus Disabling Component Dropped in ProgramData (via file_event)
Malicious Removal of Defender Safe Mode Service Registration via Process Creation
Suspicious Security Product Process Termination via Named Utility
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.