Windows process creation: svchost.exe launched by sllauncher.exe for DLL side-loading
Flags AppData\Roaming-launched svchost.exe instances spawned by sllauncher.exe with -k, matching DLL side-loading execution behavior.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2018-09-03
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Execution → Defense EvasionRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags Windows process creation where a parent process named sllauncher.exe spawns a svchost.exe child. The match further requires the child svchost.exe to be started from a roaming AppData path and include the -k parameter, consistent with DLL side-loading malware execution patterns. It relies on process creation telemetry containing ParentImage, Image, and CommandLine fields to identify suspicious parent-child relationships and command-line arguments.
Reporting behind it
- app.any.runhttps://app.any.run/tasks/579e7587-f09d-4aae-8b07-472833262965
- twitter.comhttps://twitter.com/cyb3rops/status/1168863899531132929
- research.nccgroup.comhttps://research.nccgroup.com/2018/05/18/emissary-panda-a-potential-new-malicious-tool/
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-emerging-threats/2018/TA/APT27/proc_creation_win_apt_apt27_emissary_panda.yml
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: "Windows process creation: svchost.exe launched by sllauncher.exe for DLL side-loading"
id: 9e1180b5-028e-4c4b-b2df-d7088b4bf913
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows process creation where a parent process named sllauncher.exe spawns a svchost.exe child. The match further requires the child svchost.exe to be started from a roaming AppData path and include the -k parameter, consistent with DLL side-loading malware execution patterns. It relies on process creation telemetry containing ParentImage, Image, and CommandLine fields to identify suspicious parent-child relationships and command-line arguments.
references:
- https://app.any.run/tasks/579e7587-f09d-4aae-8b07-472833262965
- https://twitter.com/cyb3rops/status/1168863899531132929
- https://research.nccgroup.com/2018/05/18/emissary-panda-a-potential-new-malicious-tool/
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-emerging-threats/2018/TA/APT27/proc_creation_win_apt_apt27_emissary_panda.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2018-09-03
modified: 2023-03-09
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.persistence
- attack.execution
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1574.001
- attack.g0027
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_sllauncher:
ParentImage|endswith: \sllauncher.exe
Image|endswith: \svchost.exe
selection_svchost:
ParentImage|contains: \AppData\Roaming\
Image|endswith: \svchost.exe
CommandLine|contains: -k
condition: 1 of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Unlikely
level: critical
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 9aa01d62-7667-4d3b-acb8-8cb5103e2014
type: derived