Windows Remote Thread Creation from Uncommon Parent Image

Alerts on remote thread creation on Windows when the source executable is rare, with exclusions for known benign image pairings.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Category: create_remote_thread
Author: Perez Diego (@darkquassar), oscd.community (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2026-07-31

Analysis Detection

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
- T1055Process Injection
Defense Evasion
- T1055Process Injection
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags Windows events where a process creates a remote thread and the SourceImage matches a set of less-common parent executables. Creating remote threads is a common technique for process injection and stealthy execution under the context of another process. The detection relies on telemetry that records remote thread creation activity along with SourceImage and TargetImage, using specific exclusions to reduce known benign combinations.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Remote Thread Creation from Uncommon Parent Image

Pivot detection · T1055 · 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-rare-remote-thread-creation-triggered-by-uncommon-source-images-02d1d718

title: Windows Remote Thread Creation from Uncommon Parent Image
id: dd839929-336c-427e-8222-e11973a2cae2
related:
  - id: 66d31e5f-52d6-40a4-9615-002d3789a119
    type: derived
  - id: 02d1d718-dd13-41af-989d-ea85c7fab93f
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows events where a process creates a remote thread and the SourceImage matches a set of less-common parent executables. Creating remote threads is a common technique for process injection and stealthy execution under the context of another process. The detection relies on telemetry that records remote thread creation activity along with SourceImage and TargetImage, using specific exclusions to reduce known benign combinations.
references:
  - Personal research, statistical analysis
  - https://lolbas-project.github.io
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/create_remote_thread/create_remote_thread_win_susp_relevant_source_image.yml
author: Perez Diego (@darkquassar), oscd.community, Huntrule Team
date: 2019-10-27
modified: 2025-12-08
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1055
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: create_remote_thread
detection:
  selection:
    SourceImage|endswith:
      - \bash.exe
      - \cscript.exe
      - \cvtres.exe
      - \defrag.exe
      - \dialer.exe
      - \dnx.exe
      - \esentutl.exe
      - \excel.exe
      - \expand.exe
      - \find.exe
      - \findstr.exe
      - \forfiles.exe
      - \gpupdate.exe
      - \hh.exe
      - \installutil.exe
      - \lync.exe
      - \makecab.exe
      - \mDNSResponder.exe
      - \monitoringhost.exe
      - \msbuild.exe
      - \mshta.exe
      - \mspaint.exe
      - \outlook.exe
      - \ping.exe
      - \provtool.exe
      - \python.exe
      - \regsvr32.exe
      - \robocopy.exe
      - \runonce.exe
      - \sapcimc.exe
      - \smartscreen.exe
      - \spoolsv.exe
      - \tstheme.exe
      - \userinit.exe
      - \vssadmin.exe
      - \vssvc.exe
      - \w3wp.exe
      - \winscp.exe
      - \winword.exe
      - \wmic.exe
      - \wscript.exe
  filter_main_conhost:
    SourceImage:
      - C:\Windows\System32\Defrag.exe
      - C:\Windows\System32\makecab.exe
    TargetImage: C:\Windows\System32\conhost.exe
  filter_main_provtol_svchost:
    SourceImage: C:\Windows\System32\provtool.exe
    TargetImage: C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe
  filter_main_provtool_system:
    SourceImage: C:\Windows\System32\provtool.exe
    TargetImage: System
  filter_main_userinit:
    SourceImage: C:\Windows\System32\userinit.exe
    TargetImage: C:\Windows\explorer.exe
  filter_main_winword:
    SourceImage|endswith: \WINWORD.EXE
    TargetImage|startswith:
      - C:\Program Files (x86)\
      - C:\Program Files\
  filter_main_ms_office:
    SourceImage|startswith:
      - C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\
      - C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\
    TargetImage: System
  filter_optional_explorer_vmtools:
    SourceImage|endswith: \SysWOW64\explorer.exe
    TargetImage:
      - C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Tools\vmtoolsd.exe
      - C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\vmtoolsd.exe
  condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
  - This rule is best put in testing first in order to create a baseline that reflects the data in your environment.
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

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