Unusual Parent-Child Relationship

Last updated 19 days ago on 2025-06-05
Created 5 years ago on 2020-02-18

About

Identifies Windows programs run from unexpected parent processes. This could indicate masquerading or other strange activity on a system.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Privilege EscalationData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Windows Security Event LogsData Source: Microsoft Defender for EndpointData Source: SysmonData Source: SentinelOneData Source: CrowdstrikeLanguage: eql
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

Privilege Escalation (TA0004)(opens in a new tab or window)

License
Elastic License v2(opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
endgame-*logs-crowdstrike.fdr*logs-endpoint.events.process-*logs-m365_defender.event-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*logs-system.security*logs-windows.forwarded*logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*winlogbeat-*
Related Integrations

endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)

windows(opens in a new tab or window)

system(opens in a new tab or window)

m365_defender(opens in a new tab or window)

sentinel_one_cloud_funnel(opens in a new tab or window)

crowdstrike(opens in a new tab or window)

Query
process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and
process.parent.name != null and
 (
   /* suspicious parent processes */
   (process.name:"autochk.exe" and not process.parent.name:"smss.exe") or
   (process.name:("fontdrvhost.exe", "dwm.exe") and not process.parent.name:("wininit.exe", "winlogon.exe", "dwm.exe")) or
   (process.name:("consent.exe", "RuntimeBroker.exe", "TiWorker.exe") and not process.parent.name:("svchost.exe", "Workplace Container Helper.exe")) or
   (process.name:"SearchIndexer.exe" and not process.parent.name:"services.exe") or
   (process.name:"SearchProtocolHost.exe" and not process.parent.name:("SearchIndexer.exe", "dllhost.exe")) or
   (process.name:"dllhost.exe" and not process.parent.name:("services.exe", "svchost.exe")) or
   (process.name:"smss.exe" and not process.parent.name:("System", "smss.exe")) or
   (process.name:"csrss.exe" and not process.parent.name:("smss.exe", "svchost.exe")) or
   (process.name:"wininit.exe" and not process.parent.name:"smss.exe") or
   (process.name:"winlogon.exe" and not process.parent.name:"smss.exe") or
   (process.name:("lsass.exe", "LsaIso.exe") and not process.parent.name:"wininit.exe") or
   (process.name:"LogonUI.exe" and not process.parent.name:("wininit.exe", "winlogon.exe")) or
   (process.name:"services.exe" and not process.parent.name:"wininit.exe") or
   (process.name:"svchost.exe" and not process.parent.name:("MsMpEng.exe", "services.exe", "svchost.exe")) or
   (process.name:"spoolsv.exe" and not process.parent.name:("services.exe", "Workplace Starter.exe")) or
   (process.name:"taskhost.exe" and not process.parent.name:("services.exe", "svchost.exe", "ngentask.exe")) or
   (process.name:"taskhostw.exe" and not process.parent.name:("services.exe", "svchost.exe")) or
   (process.name:"userinit.exe" and not process.parent.name:("dwm.exe", "winlogon.exe", "KUsrInit.exe")) or
   (process.name:("wmiprvse.exe", "wsmprovhost.exe", "winrshost.exe") and not process.parent.name:"svchost.exe") or
   /* suspicious child processes */
   (process.parent.name:("SearchProtocolHost.exe", "taskhost.exe", "csrss.exe") and not process.name:("werfault.exe", "wermgr.exe", "WerFaultSecure.exe", "conhost.exe", "ngentask.exe")) or
   (process.parent.name:"autochk.exe" and not process.name:("chkdsk.exe", "doskey.exe", "WerFault.exe")) or
   (process.parent.name:"smss.exe" and not process.name:("autochk.exe", "smss.exe", "csrss.exe", "wininit.exe", "winlogon.exe", "setupcl.exe", "WerFault.exe", "wpbbin.exe", "PvsVmBoot.exe", "SophosNA.exe", "omnissa-ic-nga.exe", "icarus_rvrt.exe", "poqexec.exe")) or
   (process.parent.name:"wermgr.exe" and not process.name:("WerFaultSecure.exe", "wermgr.exe", "WerFault.exe")) or
   (process.parent.name:"conhost.exe" and not process.name:("mscorsvw.exe", "wermgr.exe", "WerFault.exe", "WerFaultSecure.exe"))
  )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Unusual Parent-Child Relationship in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(opens in a new tab or window).