Windows Process Access to svchost.exe with Credential Dumping Access Rights

Alerts on attempts to read svchost.exe memory consistent with credential dumping, excluding known benign callers.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Category: process_access
Author: Florent Labouyrie (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2021-04-30
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
- T1548Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism
Defense Evasion
- T1548Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags attempts to access the memory of svchost.exe using a specific granted access mask associated with credential dumping behavior. Attackers may use this to read sensitive process memory and extract credentials. It relies on Windows process access telemetry that records the target image, source image, and the granted access value, excluding some known benign sources.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Process Access to svchost.exe with Credential Dumping Access Rights

Pivot detection · T1548 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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.

windows-process-access-to-svchost-exe-for-credential-dumping-attempts-174afcfa

title: Windows Process Access to svchost.exe with Credential Dumping Access Rights
id: a5de070c-a544-4e1c-a247-522074a77c71
status: test
description: This rule flags attempts to access the memory of svchost.exe using a specific granted access mask associated with credential dumping behavior. Attackers may use this to read sensitive process memory and extract credentials. It relies on Windows process access telemetry that records the target image, source image, and the granted access value, excluding some known benign sources.
references:
  - Internal Research
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_access/proc_access_win_svchost_credential_dumping.yml
author: Florent Labouyrie, Huntrule Team
date: 2021-04-30
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.t1548
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: process_access
detection:
  selection:
    TargetImage|endswith: \svchost.exe
    GrantedAccess: "0x143a"
  filter_main_known_processes:
    SourceImage|endswith:
      - \services.exe
      - \msiexec.exe
  condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 174afcfa-6e40-4ae9-af64-496546389294
    type: derived

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