huntrule

Suspicious Windows Process Creation as SYSTEM User with Likely Credential/Defense Evasion Commands

Flags SYSTEM-context process executions on Windows that include suspicious tool names or command-line patterns such as PowerShell/Mimikatz indicators.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), David ANDRE (additional keywords) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2021-12-20
Updated
2026-07-30
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → Cred Access

  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 flags Windows process creation events where the process runs under the SYSTEM security context (IntegrityLevel values like System and S-1-16-16384) and the image or command line matches a set of suspicious tool and behavior indicators. The activity matters because attackers commonly leverage SYSTEM execution to perform stealthy credential access, privilege escalation, and persistence using built-in binaries or encoded PowerShell and Mimikatz-like command patterns. It relies on process creation telemetry including the creating user/integrity context, process image path, command line, and parent process details for multiple false-positive filters.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1027 — drag to rearrange
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Suspicious Encrypted Implant File Creation for DLL Search Order Hijacking (RainyDay Turian PlugX)
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Malicious Non-Interactive Encoded PowerShell Stager (via process_creation)
Suspicious Hidden PowerShell Executing Substring of Dropped File
Malicious Wdigest Authentication Enabled - Reg via Command (via process_creation)
Suspicious Windows Process Creation as SYSTEM User with Likely Credential/Defense Evasion Commands
Pivot detection · T1027 · 9 related

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