Windows Process Creation: Suspicious Child Executables Spawned by 3CXDesktopApp.exe

Alerts on suspicious execution utilities spawned by 3CXDesktopApp.exe via Windows process creation events.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v4

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2023-03-29
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1218System Binary Proxy Execution
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags Windows process creation events where 3CXDesktopApp.exe spawns a child process matching common scripting or execution utilities (cmd.exe, cscript.exe, mshta.exe, powershell.exe/pwsh.exe, regsvr32.exe, rundll32.exe, wscript.exe). Such parent-child relationships can indicate abnormal execution and potential compromise or supply-chain tampering involving 3CXDesktopApp. It relies on process creation telemetry including parent and child image paths to match specific executable endings.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Process Creation: Suspicious Child Executables Spawned by 3CXDesktopApp.exe

Pivot detection · T1218 · 9 related

Changelog

v4
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v3
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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-creation-suspicious-child-processes-spawned-by-3cxdesktopapp-exe-63f3605b

title: "Windows Process Creation: Suspicious Child Executables Spawned by 3CXDesktopApp.exe"
id: decc6870-9841-41d7-8302-d0c299fb6024
related:
  - id: 3c4b3bbf-36b4-470c-b6cf-f07e8b1c7e26
    type: similar
  - id: 76bc1601-9546-4b75-9419-06e0e8d10651
    type: similar
  - id: bd03a0dc-5d93-49eb-b2e8-2dfd268600f8
    type: similar
  - id: 51eecf75-d069-43c7-9ea2-63f75499edd4
    type: similar
  - id: 93bbde78-dc86-4e73-9ffc-ff8a384ca89c
    type: similar
  - id: e7581747-1e44-4d4b-85a6-0db0b4a00f2a
    type: similar
  - id: d0b65ad3-e945-435e-a7a9-438e62dd48e9
    type: similar
  - id: 63f3605b-979f-48c2-b7cc-7f90523fed88
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows process creation events where 3CXDesktopApp.exe spawns a child process matching common scripting or execution utilities (cmd.exe, cscript.exe, mshta.exe, powershell.exe/pwsh.exe, regsvr32.exe, rundll32.exe, wscript.exe). Such parent-child relationships can indicate abnormal execution and potential compromise or supply-chain tampering involving 3CXDesktopApp. It relies on process creation telemetry including parent and child image paths to match specific executable endings.
references:
  - https://www.reddit.com/r/crowdstrike/comments/125r3uu/20230329_situational_awareness_crowdstrike/
  - https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/crowdstrike-detects-and-prevents-active-intrusion-campaign-targeting-3cxdesktopapp-customers/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-emerging-threats/2023/TA/3CX-Supply-Chain/proc_creation_win_malware_3cx_compromise_susp_children.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2023-03-29
tags:
  - attack.command-and-control
  - attack.execution
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1218
  - detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: \3CXDesktopApp.exe
    Image|endswith:
      - \cmd.exe
      - \cscript.exe
      - \mshta.exe
      - \powershell.exe
      - \pwsh.exe
      - \regsvr32.exe
      - \rundll32.exe
      - \wscript.exe
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

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