Windows: Taskkill used to terminate ccSvcHst.exe (Symantec Endpoint Protection service impairment)

Flags Windows taskkill /F /IM ccSvcHst.exe executions that can disable Symantec Endpoint Protection services.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Ilya Krestinichev, Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2022-09-13
Updated: 2026-07-30

ATT&CK techniques

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

What it detects

This rule matches process creation command lines that include taskkill with flags to forcefully terminate ccSvcHst.exe. Terminating this Symantec Endpoint Protection-related process can impair defensive protections and is consistent with attacker attempts to disable security software. Telemetry required is Windows process creation events with the full command line.

Reporting behind it

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Suspicious Security Product Uninstall via wmic product call uninstall

Windows: Taskkill used to terminate ccSvcHst.exe (Symantec Endpoint Protection service impairment)

Pivot detection · T1685 · 9 related

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

windows-taskkill-used-to-terminate-ccsvchst-exe-symantec-endpoint-protection-ser-4a6713f6

title: "Windows: Taskkill used to terminate ccSvcHst.exe (Symantec Endpoint Protection service impairment)"
id: 77461e33-1930-4b32-9760-ef5f1124d618
status: test
description: This rule matches process creation command lines that include taskkill with flags to forcefully terminate ccSvcHst.exe. Terminating this Symantec Endpoint Protection-related process can impair defensive protections and is consistent with attacker attempts to disable security software. Telemetry required is Windows process creation events with the full command line.
references:
  - https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/37525
  - https://community.spiceworks.com/topic/2195015-batch-script-to-uninstall-symantec-endpoint-protection
  - https://community.broadcom.com/symantecenterprise/communities/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=6ce94b67-74e1-4333-b16f-000b7fd874f0&CommunityKey=1ecf5f55-9545-44d6-b0f4-4e4a7f5f5e68&tab=digestviewer
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_taskkill_sep.yml
author: Ilya Krestinichev, Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-09-13
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - taskkill
      - " /F "
      - " /IM "
      - ccSvcHst.exe
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 4a6713f6-3331-11ed-a261-0242ac120002
    type: derived

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