PUA - Process Hacker Execution — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems). Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2022-10-10 / 2024-11-23.

{
  "category": "process_creation",
  "product": "windows"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 72800819b01116eaee1ec3394005e249145bc3d97515411be6ff165a3a42187f

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: PUA - Process Hacker Execution
id: 811e0002-b13b-4a15-9d00-a613fce66e42
related:
    - id: 5722dff1-4bdd-4949-86ab-fbaf707e767a
      type: similar
status: test
description: |
    Detects the execution of Process Hacker based on binary metadata information (Image, Hash, Imphash, etc).
    Process Hacker is a tool to view and manipulate processes, kernel options and other low level options.
    Threat actors abused older vulnerable versions to manipulate system processes.
references:
    - https://processhacker.sourceforge.io/
    - https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/falcon-overwatch-report-finds-increase-in-ecrime/
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-10-10
modified: 2024-11-23
tags:
    - attack.discovery
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1622
    - attack.t1564
    - attack.t1543
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        - Image|contains: '\ProcessHacker_'
        - Image|endswith: '\ProcessHacker.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'ProcessHacker.exe'
              - 'Process Hacker'
        - Description: 'Process Hacker'
        - Product: 'Process Hacker'
        - Hashes|contains:
              - 'MD5=68F9B52895F4D34E74112F3129B3B00D'
              - 'MD5=B365AF317AE730A67C936F21432B9C71'
              - 'SHA1=A0BDFAC3CE1880B32FF9B696458327CE352E3B1D'
              - 'SHA1=C5E2018BF7C0F314FED4FD7FE7E69FA2E648359E'
              - 'SHA256=D4A0FE56316A2C45B9BA9AC1005363309A3EDC7ACF9E4DF64D326A0FF273E80F'
              - 'SHA256=BD2C2CF0631D881ED382817AFCCE2B093F4E412FFB170A719E2762F250ABFEA4'
              - 'IMPHASH=3695333C60DEDECDCAFF1590409AA462'
              - 'IMPHASH=04DE0AD9C37EB7BD52043D2ECAC958DF'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - While sometimes 'Process Hacker is used by legitimate administrators, the execution of Process Hacker must be investigated and allowed on a case by case basis
level: medium

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• While sometimes 'Process Hacker is used by legitimate administrators, the execution of Process Hacker must be investigated and allowed on a case by case basis

Source references

• https://processhacker.sourceforge.io/
• https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/falcon-overwatch-report-finds-increase-in-ecrime/