Potential Masquerading as System32 Executable

Last updated 3 months ago on 2026-03-24
Created 3 years ago on 2023-08-20

About

Identifies suspicious instances of default system32 executables, either unsigned or signed with non-MS certificates. This could indicate the attempt to masquerade as system executables or backdoored and resigned legitimate executables.
Tags
Domain: EndpointData Source: Elastic DefendOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Defense EvasionTactic: PersistenceRule Type: BBRLanguage: eql
Severity
low
Risk Score
21
MITRE ATT&CK™

Defense Evasion (TA0005)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Persistence (TA0003)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

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

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
logs-endpoint.events.process-*
Related Integrations

endpoint(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Query
text code block:
process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and (process.code_signature.status : "?*" or process.code_signature.exists != null) and process.name: ( "agentactivationruntimestarter.exe", "agentservice.exe", "aitstatic.exe", "alg.exe", "apphostregistrationverifier.exe", "appidcertstorecheck.exe", "appidpolicyconverter.exe", "appidtel.exe", "applicationframehost.exe", "applysettingstemplatecatalog.exe", "applytrustoffline.exe", "approvechildrequest.exe", "appvclient.exe", "appvdllsurrogate.exe", "appvnice.exe", "appvshnotify.exe", "arp.exe", "assignedaccessguard.exe", "at.exe", "atbroker.exe", "attrib.exe", "audiodg.exe", "auditpol.exe", "authhost.exe", "autochk.exe", "autoconv.exe", "autofmt.exe", "axinstui.exe", "baaupdate.exe", "backgroundtaskhost.exe", "backgroundtransferhost.exe", "bcdboot.exe", "bcdedit.exe", "bdechangepin.exe", "bdehdcfg.exe", "bdeuisrv.exe", "bdeunlock.exe", "bioiso.exe", "bitlockerdeviceencryption.exe", "bitlockerwizard.exe", "bitlockerwizardelev.exe", "bitsadmin.exe", "bootcfg.exe", "bootim.exe", "bootsect.exe", "bridgeunattend.exe", "browserexport.exe", "browser_broker.exe", "bthudtask.exe", "bytecodegenerator.exe", "cacls.exe", "calc.exe", "camerasettingsuihost.exe", "castsrv.exe", "certenrollctrl.exe", "certreq.exe", "certutil.exe", "change.exe", "changepk.exe", "charmap.exe", "checknetisolation.exe", "chglogon.exe", "chgport.exe", "chgusr.exe", "chkdsk.exe", "chkntfs.exe", "choice.exe", "cidiag.exe", "cipher.exe", "cleanmgr.exe", "cliconfg.exe", "clip.exe", "clipup.exe", "cloudexperiencehostbroker.exe", "cloudnotifications.exe", "cmd.exe", "cmdkey.exe", "cmdl32.exe", "cmmon32.exe", "cmstp.exe", "cofire.exe", "colorcpl.exe", "comp.exe", "compact.exe", "compattelrunner.exe", "compmgmtlauncher.exe", "comppkgsrv.exe", "computerdefaults.exe", "conhost.exe", "consent.exe", "control.exe", "convert.exe", "convertvhd.exe", "coredpussvr.exe", "credentialenrollmentmanager.exe", "credentialuibroker.exe", "credwiz.exe", "cscript.exe", "csrss.exe", "ctfmon.exe", "cttune.exe", "cttunesvr.exe", "custominstallexec.exe", "customshellhost.exe", "dashost.exe", "dataexchangehost.exe", "datastorecachedumptool.exe", "dccw.exe", "dcomcnfg.exe", "ddodiag.exe", "defrag.exe", "deploymentcsphelper.exe", "desktopimgdownldr.exe", "devicecensus.exe", "devicecredentialdeployment.exe", "deviceeject.exe", "deviceenroller.exe", "devicepairingwizard.exe", "deviceproperties.exe", "dfdwiz.exe", "dfrgui.exe", "dialer.exe", "directxdatabaseupdater.exe", "diskpart.exe", "diskperf.exe", "diskraid.exe", "disksnapshot.exe", "dism.exe", "dispdiag.exe", "displayswitch.exe", "djoin.exe", "dllhost.exe", "dllhst3g.exe", "dmcertinst.exe", "dmcfghost.exe", "dmclient.exe", "dmnotificationbroker.exe", "dmomacpmo.exe", "dnscacheugc.exe", "doskey.exe", "dpapimig.exe", "dpiscaling.exe", "dpnsvr.exe", "driverquery.exe", "drvinst.exe", "dsmusertask.exe", "dsregcmd.exe", "dstokenclean.exe", "dusmtask.exe", "dvdplay.exe", "dwm.exe", "dwwin.exe", "dxdiag.exe", "dxgiadaptercache.exe", "dxpserver.exe", "eap3host.exe", "easeofaccessdialog.exe", "easinvoker.exe", "easpolicymanagerbrokerhost.exe", "edpcleanup.exe", "edpnotify.exe", "eduprintprov.exe", "efsui.exe", "ehstorauthn.exe", "eoaexperiences.exe", "esentutl.exe", "eudcedit.exe", "eventcreate.exe", "eventvwr.exe", "expand.exe", "extrac32.exe", "fc.exe", "fclip.exe", "fhmanagew.exe", "filehistory.exe", "find.exe", "findstr.exe", "finger.exe", "fixmapi.exe", "fltmc.exe", "fodhelper.exe", "fondue.exe", "fontdrvhost.exe", "fontview.exe", "forfiles.exe", "fsavailux.exe", "fsiso.exe", "fsquirt.exe", "fsutil.exe", "ftp.exe", "fvenotify.exe", "fveprompt.exe", "gamebarpresencewriter.exe", "gamepanel.exe", "genvalobj.exe", "getmac.exe", "gpresult.exe", "gpscript.exe", "gpupdate.exe", "grpconv.exe", "hdwwiz.exe", "help.exe", "hostname.exe", "hvax64.exe", "hvix64.exe", "hvsievaluator.exe", "icacls.exe", "icsentitlementhost.exe", "icsunattend.exe", "ie4uinit.exe", "ie4ushowie.exe", "iesettingsync.exe", "ieunatt.exe", "iexpress.exe", "immersivetpmvscmgrsvr.exe", "infdefaultinstall.exe", "inputswitchtoasthandler.exe", "iotstartup.exe", "ipconfig.exe", "iscsicli.exe", "iscsicpl.exe", "isoburn.exe", "klist.exe", "ksetup.exe", "ktmutil.exe", "label.exe", "languagecomponentsinstallercomhandler.exe", "launchtm.exe", "launchwinapp.exe", "legacynetuxhost.exe", "licensemanagershellext.exe", "licensingdiag.exe", "licensingui.exe", "locationnotificationwindows.exe", "locator.exe", "lockapphost.exe", "lockscreencontentserver.exe", "lodctr.exe", "logagent.exe", "logman.exe", "logoff.exe", "logonui.exe", "lpkinstall.exe", "lpksetup.exe", "lpremove.exe", "lsaiso.exe", "lsass.exe", "magnify.exe", "makecab.exe", "manage-bde.exe", "mavinject.exe", "mbaeparsertask.exe", "mblctr.exe", "mbr2gpt.exe", "mcbuilder.exe", "mdeserver.exe", "mdmagent.exe", "mdmappinstaller.exe", "mdmdiagnosticstool.exe", "mdres.exe", "mdsched.exe", "mfpmp.exe", "microsoft.uev.cscunpintool.exe", "microsoft.uev.synccontroller.exe", "microsoftedgebchost.exe", "microsoftedgecp.exe", "microsoftedgedevtools.exe", "microsoftedgesh.exe", "mmc.exe", "mmgaserver.exe", "mobsync.exe", "mountvol.exe", "mousocoreworker.exe", "mpnotify.exe", "mpsigstub.exe", "mrinfo.exe", "mschedexe.exe", "msconfig.exe", "msdt.exe", "msdtc.exe", "msfeedssync.exe", "msg.exe", "mshta.exe", "msiexec.exe", "msinfo32.exe", "mspaint.exe", "msra.exe", "msspellcheckinghost.exe", "mstsc.exe", "mtstocom.exe", "muiunattend.exe", "multidigimon.exe", "musnotification.exe", "musnotificationux.exe", "musnotifyicon.exe", "narrator.exe", "nbtstat.exe", "ndadmin.exe", "ndkping.exe", "net.exe", "net1.exe", "netbtugc.exe", "netcfg.exe", "netcfgnotifyobjecthost.exe", "netevtfwdr.exe", "nethost.exe", "netiougc.exe", "netplwiz.exe", "netsh.exe", "netstat.exe", "newdev.exe", "ngciso.exe", "nltest.exe", "notepad.exe", "nslookup.exe", "ntoskrnl.exe", "ntprint.exe", "odbcad32.exe", "odbcconf.exe", "ofdeploy.exe", "omadmclient.exe", "omadmprc.exe", "openfiles.exe", "openwith.exe", "optionalfeatures.exe", "osk.exe", "pacjsworker.exe", "packagedcwalauncher.exe", "packageinspector.exe", "passwordonwakesettingflyout.exe", "pathping.exe", "pcalua.exe", "pcaui.exe", "pcwrun.exe", "perfmon.exe", "phoneactivate.exe", "pickerhost.exe", "pinenrollmentbroker.exe", "ping.exe", "pkgmgr.exe", "pktmon.exe", "plasrv.exe", "pnpunattend.exe", "pnputil.exe", "poqexec.exe", "pospaymentsworker.exe", "powercfg.exe", "presentationhost.exe", "presentationsettings.exe", "prevhost.exe", "printbrmui.exe", "printfilterpipelinesvc.exe", "printisolationhost.exe", "printui.exe", "proquota.exe", "provlaunch.exe", "provtool.exe", "proximityuxhost.exe", "prproc.exe", "psr.exe", "pwlauncher.exe", "qappsrv.exe", "qprocess.exe", "query.exe", "quser.exe", "qwinsta.exe", "rasautou.exe", "rasdial.exe", "raserver.exe", "rasphone.exe", "rdpclip.exe", "rdpinit.exe", "rdpinput.exe", "rdpsa.exe", "rdpsaproxy.exe", "rdpsauachelper.exe", "rdpshell.exe", "rdpsign.exe", "rdrleakdiag.exe", "reagentc.exe", "recdisc.exe", "recover.exe", "recoverydrive.exe", "refsutil.exe", "reg.exe", "regedt32.exe", "regini.exe", "register-cimprovider.exe", "regsvr32.exe", "rekeywiz.exe", "relog.exe", "relpost.exe", "remoteapplifetimemanager.exe", "remoteposworker.exe", "repair-bde.exe", "replace.exe", "reset.exe", "resetengine.exe", "resmon.exe", "rmactivate.exe", "rmactivate_isv.exe", "rmactivate_ssp.exe", "rmactivate_ssp_isv.exe", "rmclient.exe", "rmttpmvscmgrsvr.exe", "robocopy.exe", "route.exe", "rpcping.exe", "rrinstaller.exe", "rstrui.exe", "runas.exe", "rundll32.exe", "runexehelper.exe", "runlegacycplelevated.exe", "runonce.exe", "runtimebroker.exe", "rwinsta.exe", "sc.exe", "schtasks.exe", "scriptrunner.exe", "sdbinst.exe", "sdchange.exe", "sdclt.exe", "sdiagnhost.exe", "searchfilterhost.exe", "searchindexer.exe", "searchprotocolhost.exe", "secedit.exe", "secinit.exe", "securekernel.exe", "securityhealthhost.exe", "securityhealthservice.exe", "securityhealthsystray.exe", "sensordataservice.exe", "services.exe", "sessionmsg.exe", "sethc.exe", "setspn.exe", "settingsynchost.exe", "setupcl.exe", "setupugc.exe", "setx.exe", "sfc.exe", "sgrmbroker.exe", "sgrmlpac.exe", "shellappruntime.exe", "shrpubw.exe", "shutdown.exe", "sigverif.exe", "sihclient.exe", "sihost.exe", "slidetoshutdown.exe", "slui.exe", "smartscreen.exe", "smss.exe", "sndvol.exe", "snippingtool.exe", "snmptrap.exe", "sort.exe", "spaceagent.exe", "spaceman.exe", "spatialaudiolicensesrv.exe", "spectrum.exe", "spoolsv.exe", "sppextcomobj.exe", "sppsvc.exe", "srdelayed.exe", "srtasks.exe", "stordiag.exe", "subst.exe", "svchost.exe", "sxstrace.exe", "syncappvpublishingserver.exe", "synchost.exe", "sysreseterr.exe", "systeminfo.exe", "systempropertiesadvanced.exe", "systempropertiescomputername.exe", "systempropertiesdataexecutionprevention.exe", "systempropertieshardware.exe", "systempropertiesperformance.exe", "systempropertiesprotection.exe", "systempropertiesremote.exe", "systemreset.exe", "systemsettingsadminflows.exe", "systemsettingsbroker.exe", "systemsettingsremovedevice.exe", "systemuwplauncher.exe", "systray.exe", "tabcal.exe", "takeown.exe", "tapiunattend.exe", "tar.exe", "taskhostw.exe", "taskkill.exe", "tasklist.exe", "taskmgr.exe", "tcblaunch.exe", "tcmsetup.exe", "tcpsvcs.exe", "thumbnailextractionhost.exe", "tieringengineservice.exe", "timeout.exe", "tokenbrokercookies.exe", "tpminit.exe", "tpmtool.exe", "tpmvscmgr.exe", "tpmvscmgrsvr.exe", "tracerpt.exe", "tracert.exe", "tscon.exe", "tsdiscon.exe", "tskill.exe", "tstheme.exe", "tswbprxy.exe", "ttdinject.exe", "tttracer.exe", "typeperf.exe", "tzsync.exe", "tzutil.exe", "ucsvc.exe", "uevagentpolicygenerator.exe", "uevappmonitor.exe", "uevtemplatebaselinegenerator.exe", "uevtemplateconfigitemgenerator.exe", "uimgrbroker.exe", "unlodctr.exe", "unregmp2.exe", "upfc.exe", "upgraderesultsui.exe", "upnpcont.exe", "upprinterinstaller.exe", "useraccountbroker.exe", "useraccountcontrolsettings.exe", "userinit.exe", "usoclient.exe", "utcdecoderhost.exe", "utilman.exe", "vaultcmd.exe", "vds.exe", "vdsldr.exe", "verclsid.exe", "verifier.exe", "verifiergui.exe", "vssadmin.exe", "vssvc.exe", "w32tm.exe", "waasmedicagent.exe", "waitfor.exe", "wallpaperhost.exe", "wbadmin.exe", "wbengine.exe", "wecutil.exe", "werfault.exe", "werfaultsecure.exe", "wermgr.exe", "wevtutil.exe", "wextract.exe", "where.exe", "whoami.exe", "wiaacmgr.exe", "wiawow64.exe", "wifitask.exe", "wimserv.exe", "winbiodatamodeloobe.exe", "windows.media.backgroundplayback.exe", "windows.warp.jitservice.exe", "windowsactiondialog.exe", "windowsupdateelevatedinstaller.exe", "wininit.exe", "winload.exe", "winlogon.exe", "winresume.exe", "winrs.exe", "winrshost.exe", "winrtnetmuahostserver.exe", "winsat.exe", "winver.exe", "wkspbroker.exe", "wksprt.exe", "wlanext.exe", "wlrmdr.exe", "wmpdmc.exe", "workfolders.exe", "wowreg32.exe", "wpcmon.exe", "wpctok.exe", "wpdshextautoplay.exe", "wpnpinst.exe", "wpr.exe", "write.exe", "wscadminui.exe", "wscollect.exe", "wscript.exe", "wsl.exe", "wsmanhttpconfig.exe", "wsmprovhost.exe", "wsqmcons.exe", "wsreset.exe", "wuapihost.exe", "wuauclt.exe", "wudfcompanionhost.exe", "wudfhost.exe", "wusa.exe", "wwahost.exe", "xblgamesavetask.exe", "xcopy.exe", "xwizard.exe", "aggregatorhost.exe", "diskusage.exe", "dtdump.exe", "ism.exe", "ndkperfcmd.exe", "ntkrla57.exe", "securekernella57.exe", "spaceutil.exe", "configure-smremoting.exe", "dcgpofix.exe", "dcpromo.exe", "dimc.exe", "diskshadow.exe", "drvcfg.exe", "escunattend.exe", "iashost.exe", "ktpass.exe", "lbfoadmin.exe", "netdom.exe", "rdspnf.exe", "rsopprov.exe", "sacsess.exe", "servermanager.exe", "servermanagerlauncher.exe", "setres.exe", "tsecimp.exe", "vssuirun.exe", "webcache.exe", "win32calc.exe", "certoc.exe", "sdndiagnosticstask.exe", "xpsrchvw.exe" ) and not ( process.code_signature.subject_name in ( "Microsoft Windows", "Microsoft Corporation", "Microsoft Windows Publisher" ) and process.code_signature.trusted == true ) and not process.code_signature.status: ("errorCode_endpoint*", "errorUntrustedRoot", "errorChaining") and not ( process.executable: ( "?:\\Program Files\\Git\\usr\\bin\\hostname.exe", "?:\\Windows\\Temp\\{*}\\taskkill.exe", "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\{*}\\taskkill.exe", "?:\\$WINDOWS.~BT\\NewOS\\Windows\\System32\\ie4ushowIE.exe", "?:\\Program Files\\Git\\usr\\bin\\find.exe", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Axence\\nVision Agent 2\\nss\\certutil.exe" ) ) and not ( (process.name: "ucsvc.exe" and process.code_signature.subject_name == "Wellbia.com Co., Ltd." and process.code_signature.status: "trusted") or (process.name: "pnputil.exe" and process.code_signature.subject_name: ("Lenovo", "HP Inc.", "Dell Inc") and process.code_signature.status: "trusted") or (process.name: "convert.exe" and process.code_signature.subject_name: "ImageMagick Studio LLC" and process.code_signature.status: "trusted") or (process.name: "systeminfo.exe" and process.code_signature.subject_name: "Arctic Wolf Networks, Inc." and process.code_signature.status: "trusted") or ( process.name: "certutil.exe" and process.code_signature.subject_name: ( "Intel(R) Online Connect Access", "Fortinet Technologies (Canada) ULC" ) and process.code_signature.status: "trusted" ) or ( process.name: "sfc.exe" and process.code_signature.subject_name: ( "Cisco Systems, Inc.", "CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA CO" ) and process.code_signature.status: "trusted" ) )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Potential Masquerading as System32 Executable 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(external, opens in a new tab or window).