Sigma rule: Sdiagnhost Calling Suspicious Child Process

Rule

Title

Sdiagnhost Calling Suspicious Child Process

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Nextron Systems, @Kostastsale

Date

2022-06-01

Modified

2024-08-23

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_sdiagnhost_susp_child.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects sdiagnhost.exe calling a suspicious child process (e.g. used in exploits for Follina / CVE-2022-30190)

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\sdiagnhost.exe'
    Image|endswith:
        # Add more suspicious LOLBins
        - '\powershell.exe'
        - '\pwsh.exe'
        - '\cmd.exe'
        - '\mshta.exe'
        - '\cscript.exe'
        - '\wscript.exe'
        - '\taskkill.exe'
        - '\regsvr32.exe'
        - '\rundll32.exe'
        # - '\csc.exe'   # https://app.any.run/tasks/f420d295-0457-4e9b-9b9e-6732be227583/
        - '\calc.exe'  # https://app.any.run/tasks/f420d295-0457-4e9b-9b9e-6732be227583/
filter_main_cmd_bits:
    Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: 'bits'
filter_main_powershell_noprofile:
    Image|endswith: '\powershell.exe'
    CommandLine|endswith:
        - '-noprofile -'
        - '-noprofile'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1036
• attack.t1218

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1036
• T1218

References

• https://twitter.com/nao_sec/status/1530196847679401984
• https://doublepulsar.com/follina-a-microsoft-office-code-execution-vulnerability-1a47fce5629e
• https://app.any.run/tasks/713f05d2-fe78-4b9d-a744-f7c133e3fafb/
• https://app.any.run/tasks/f420d295-0457-4e9b-9b9e-6732be227583/
• https://app.any.run/tasks/c4117d9a-f463-461a-b90f-4cd258746798/

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_sdiagnhost_susp_child.yml