Sigma rule: Windows Kernel Debugger Execution

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-f44efa849e5a, updated 2024-04-24T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Windows Kernel Debugger Execution
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2023-05-15
Modified
2024-04-24
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_kd_execution.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of the Windows Kernel Debugger "kd.exe".

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    - Image|endswith: '\kd.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'kd.exe'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Rare occasions of legitimate cases where kernel debugging is necessary in production. Investigation is required

Tags

  • attack.privilege-escalation
  • attack.stealth

References

  • Internal Research

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_kd_execution.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Windows Kernel Debugger Execution" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_kd_execution.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Windows Kernel Debugger Execution",
entity page, dataset version ref-f44efa849e5a, updated 2024-04-24T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/27ee9438-90dc-4bef-904b-d3ef927f5e7e (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 27ee9438-90dc-4bef-904b-d3ef927f5e7e, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.