Suspicious Whoami.EXE Execution Anomaly (via process_creation)

title: Suspicious Whoami.EXE Execution Anomaly (via process_creation)
id: 29dbcd9f-b894-53f3-a3c6-29b053416b30
status: stable
description: This rule detects the execution of whoami.exe with anomalous parent processes.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1033/
    - https://brica.de/alerts/alert/public/1247926/agent-tesla-keylogger-delivered-inside-a-power-iso-daa-archive/
    - https://app.any.run/tasks/7eaba74e-c1ea-400f-9c17-5e30eee89906/
    - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsJ9ByX84o4&t=6s
author: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-06-25
tags:
    - attack.discovery
    - attack.t1033
    - car.2016-03-001
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        - Image|endswith: '\whoami.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'whoami.exe'
    filter_main_known_parents:
        ParentImage|endswith:
            - '\cmd.exe'
            - '\powershell_ise.exe'
            - '\powershell.exe'
            - '\pwsh.exe'
    filter_optional_ms_monitoring_agent:
        ParentImage|endswith: ':\Program Files\Microsoft Monitoring Agent\Agent\MonitoringHost.exe'
    filter_main_parent_null:
        ParentImage:
    filter_main_parent_empty:
        ParentImage:
            - ''
            - '-'
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium