huntrule

Windows Driver Load: Process Hacker (processhacker.sys) Presence

Flags Windows driver loads of Process Hacker’s processhacker.sys using path and known imphash indicators.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Category
driver_load
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2022-11-16
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc

  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

Identifies attempts to load the Process Hacker kernel driver by matching the loaded driver path ending in processhacker.sys and specific imphash values. Loading third-party drivers can enable persistence and privilege escalation by operating at the kernel level. Telemetry required includes driver load events with the ImageLoaded field and associated driver Hashes/imphash values.

Reporting behind it

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Malicious Fire Ant Hypervisor Backdoor Artifacts on ESXi and vCenter (via file_event)
Suspicious D-Bus System Service Persistence File Creation
Malicious BRICKSTORM Backdoor Execution via Masqueraded Binary Path
Suspicious SonicWall SMA init.d Persistence Launching deploy_new.py
Malicious Linux XorDDoS gcc.pid Device Marker File via file_event
Windows Code Integrity: Blocked Driver Load Due to Revoked Certificate (Event ID 3023)
Windows Driver Load: Process Hacker (processhacker.sys) Presence
Pivot detection · T1543 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v1
    No 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.