Sigma rule: Unusual Parent Process For Cmd.EXE

Rule

Title

Unusual Parent Process For Cmd.EXE

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Tim Rauch, Elastic (idea)

Date

2022-09-21

Modified

2023-12-05

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_cmd_unusual_parent.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects suspicious parent process for cmd.exe

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    ParentImage|endswith:
        - '\csrss.exe'
        - '\ctfmon.exe'
        - '\dllhost.exe'
        - '\epad.exe'
        - '\FlashPlayerUpdateService.exe'
        - '\GoogleUpdate.exe'
        - '\jucheck.exe'
        - '\jusched.exe'
        - '\LogonUI.exe'
        - '\lsass.exe'
        - '\regsvr32.exe'
        - '\SearchIndexer.exe'
        - '\SearchProtocolHost.exe'
        - '\SIHClient.exe'
        - '\sihost.exe'
        - '\slui.exe'
        - '\spoolsv.exe'
        - '\sppsvc.exe'
        - '\taskhostw.exe'
        - '\unsecapp.exe'
        - '\WerFault.exe'
        - '\wermgr.exe'
        - '\wlanext.exe'
        - '\WUDFHost.exe'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.execution
• attack.t1059

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1059

References

• https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/security/current/unusual-parent-process-for-cmd.exe.html

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_cmd_unusual_parent.yml