Sigma rule: Suspicious Processes Spawned by Java.EXE

Rule

Title

Suspicious Processes Spawned by Java.EXE

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Andreas Hunkeler (@Karneades), Florian Roth

Date

2021-12-17

Modified

2024-01-18

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_java_susp_child_process.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects suspicious processes spawned from a Java host process which could indicate a sign of exploitation (e.g. log4j)

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\java.exe'
    Image|endswith:
        - '\AppVLP.exe'
        - '\bitsadmin.exe'
        - '\certutil.exe'
        - '\cscript.exe'
        - '\curl.exe'
        - '\forfiles.exe'
        - '\hh.exe'
        - '\mftrace.exe'
        - '\mshta.exe'
        - '\net.exe'
        - '\net1.exe'
        - '\query.exe'
        - '\reg.exe'
        - '\regsvr32.exe'
        - '\rundll32.exe'
        - '\schtasks.exe'
        - '\scrcons.exe'
        - '\scriptrunner.exe'
        - '\sh.exe'
        - '\systeminfo.exe'
        - '\whoami.exe'
        - '\wmic.exe'        # https://app.any.run/tasks/c903e9c8-0350-440c-8688-3881b556b8e0/
        - '\wscript.exe'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate calls to system binaries
• Company specific internal usage

Tags

• attack.initial-access
• attack.persistence
• attack.privilege-escalation

Related rules

• dff1e1cc-d3fd-47c8-bfc2-aeb878a754c0 (similar)

References

• https://web.archive.org/web/20231230220738/https://www.lunasec.io/docs/blog/log4j-zero-day/

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_java_susp_child_process.yml