Suspicious Service Creation Hosting Binary via Svchost (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 sc.exe creating a service whose binary path launches svchost.exe with the -k grouping switch. This behavior was observed in the updated MATA framework attacking industrial companies to register a malicious service DLL under a svchost service group for persistence. Detecting the service registration exposes the persistence and privilege-context stage.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1543.003 — drag to rearrange

Malicious Snatch Ransomware SuperBackupMan SafeBoot Service Registration

Suspicious MeshAgent Spawning Command Interpreter (via process_creation)

Suspicious Kernel Driver Written to AppData Temp Linked to RansomHub EDR Killers

Suspicious Velociraptor DFIR Agent Spawning Encoded PowerShell

Suspicious Windows Service Installed with PHP-CLI ImagePath in MagicINFO Path

Suspicious Service Creation Masquerading as Windows Defender

Suspicious Modification of Service ImagePath or ServiceDll

Suspicious Windows Service Creation via New-Service or nssm

Suspicious svchost.exe Loading Unsigned DLL (via image_load)

Suspicious Service Creation Hosting Binary via Svchost (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.

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