Windows: Detect New PDQDeploy Service Installation via Service Control Manager

Flags new Windows services installed via SCM Event 7045 that reference PDQDeployService.exe.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2

Product: windows
Service: system
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2022-07-22
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1543.003Windows Service
Priv Esc
- T1543.003Windows Service
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags creation of a new Windows service where the service control manager logs event 7045 with a service name matching PDQDeploy/"PDQ Deploy" and an ImagePath containing "PDQDeployService.exe". Service installations provide persistence and can enable remote package installation or command execution workflows associated with PDQDeploy abuse. The detection relies on Windows Service Control Manager telemetry (EventID 7045) and the recorded service name and binary image path.

Reporting behind it

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Windows: Detect New PDQDeploy Service Installation via Service Control Manager

Pivot detection · T1543.003 · 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-service-installation-of-pdqdeploy-service-service-control-manager-event--ee9ca27c

title: "Windows: Detect New PDQDeploy Service Installation via Service Control Manager"
id: cdf43ec4-d7f9-45d6-9c68-df96a557fbf0
status: test
description: This rule flags creation of a new Windows service where the service control manager logs event 7045 with a service name matching PDQDeploy/"PDQ Deploy" and an ImagePath containing "PDQDeployService.exe". Service installations provide persistence and can enable remote package installation or command execution workflows associated with PDQDeploy abuse. The detection relies on Windows Service Control Manager telemetry (EventID 7045) and the recorded service name and binary image path.
references:
  - https://documentation.pdq.com/PDQDeploy/13.0.3.0/index.html?windows-services.htm
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/system/service_control_manager/win_system_service_install_pdqdeploy.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-07-22
tags:
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.t1543.003
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: system
detection:
  selection_root:
    Provider_Name: Service Control Manager
    EventID: 7045
  selection_service:
    - ImagePath|contains: PDQDeployService.exe
    - ServiceName:
        - PDQDeploy
        - PDQ Deploy
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate use of the tool
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: ee9ca27c-9bd7-4cee-9b01-6e906be7cae3
    type: derived

Convert

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