Windows Suspicious Service Creation via sc.exe or PowerShell New-Service with Abnormal Binary Paths

Flags service creation commands (sc.exe/New-Service) when the specified binary path includes suspicious directories or script/loader utilities.

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title: Windows Suspicious Service Creation via sc.exe or PowerShell New-Service with Abnormal Binary Paths
id: 35f8b5c8-c9c4-4ad0-b8a2-4585b4efd54d
related:
  - id: 7fe71fc9-de3b-432a-8d57-8c809efc10ab
    type: derived
  - id: 17a1be64-8d88-40bf-b5ff-a4f7a50ebcc8
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule identifies Windows processes creating new services using either the sc.exe command with a binPath parameter or the PowerShell New-Service cmdlet specifying -BinaryPathName. The detection matters because creating a new service is a common persistence and privilege-related technique, and attackers may point the service to binaries or script hosts in unusual directories. It relies on process creation telemetry with command line content, matching for service creation indicators and additional suspicious path substrings such as public user directories, temp locations, Startup folders, and common script or loader utilities.
references:
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1543.003/T1543.003.md
  - https://web.archive.org/web/20180331144337/https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2018/03/sanny-malware-delivery-method-updated-in-recently-observed-attacks.html
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_service_creation.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-07-14
modified: 2022-11-18
tags:
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.t1543.003
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_sc:
    Image|endswith: \sc.exe
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - create
      - binPath=
  selection_posh:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - New-Service
      - -BinaryPathName
  susp_binpath:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - powershell
      - mshta
      - wscript
      - cscript
      - svchost
      - dllhost
      - "cmd "
      - cmd.exe /c
      - cmd.exe /k
      - cmd.exe /r
      - rundll32
      - C:\Users\Public
      - \Downloads\
      - \Desktop\
      - \Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\
      - C:\Windows\TEMP\
      - \AppData\Local\Temp
  condition: 1 of selection* and susp_binpath
falsepositives:
  - Unlikely
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

What it detects

This rule identifies Windows processes creating new services using either the sc.exe command with a binPath parameter or the PowerShell New-Service cmdlet specifying -BinaryPathName. The detection matters because creating a new service is a common persistence and privilege-related technique, and attackers may point the service to binaries or script hosts in unusual directories. It relies on process creation telemetry with command line content, matching for service creation indicators and additional suspicious path substrings such as public user directories, temp locations, Startup folders, and common script or loader utilities.

Known false positives

Unlikely

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.