huntrule

Windows Process Creation: Remote.exe Execution

Alerts on execution of remote.exe on Windows, which can be abused via a WinDbg/SDK binary for stealthy remote execution.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Christopher Peacock @SecurePeacock, SCYTHE @scythe_io (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2022-06-02
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

  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 identifies process creation events where the executable name ends with \remote.exe or the OriginalFileName is remote.exe. Remote.exe is a Windows debugging/Windows SDK component (part of WinDbg) that can be abused to execute actions from remote content. Alerting on its execution matters because it can be used for stealthy or proxy-like execution patterns, and the rule relies on Windows process creation telemetry fields for image path and original file name.

Reporting behind it

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Suspicious aspnet_compiler.exe Execution from User or Temp Paths on Windows
Windows: Detect kavremover-related LOLBIN command-line usage
Windows node.exe Execution with -e/--eval and suspicious child process usage
Windows: Process creation involving VSIISExeLauncher.exe with -p and -a arguments
Windows Process Creation: Mftrace.exe Child Process Execution
Windows Process Creation: wfc.exe Execution for Workflow Command-line Compiler Abuse
Windows Process Creation: Remote.exe Execution
Pivot detection · T1127 · 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.