↳ GitHub sourceAnalytics ruleMedium

Rare Process as a Service

Description

This query is looking for rarely seen processes which are launched as a service. Whiltelisted process list need to be updated based on the environment. Author: Jouni Mikkola More info: https://threathunt.blog/rare-process-launch-as-a-service/
Rule type
Scheduled
Version
1.0.0
Declared status
Available
Query frequency
1d
Query period
14d
Trigger
gt 0

Declared MITRE coverage

Declared sources

Metadata from the source file. No dependencies inferred from KQL.

Connectors

Data types

KQL query

Original query, unchanged.

let LookupTime = 14d;
let WhiteList = pack_array(
"svchost.exe",
"mssense.exe",
"msmpeng.exe",
"searchindexer.exe",
"microsoftedgeupdate.exe"
);
let GetServices = materialize (
DeviceProcessEvents
| where TimeGenerated > ago(LookupTime)
| where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"
| where InitiatingProcessFileName !in~(WhiteList)
| project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, StartedChildProcess = FileName, StartedChildProcessSHA1 = SHA1, StartedChildProcessCmdline = ProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessSHA1 = InitiatingProcessSHA1, ServiceProcess = InitiatingProcessFileName, ServiceProcessCmdline = InitiatingProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessID = InitiatingProcessId, ServiceProcessCreationTime = InitiatingProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessUser = InitiatingProcessAccountName
);
GetServices
| summarize count() by ServiceProcess, DeviceName
| where count_ < 6 
| join kind = inner GetServices on ServiceProcess, DeviceName 
| join kind = leftouter ( 
DeviceNetworkEvents 
| where TimeGenerated > ago(LookupTime)
| where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"
| where InitiatingProcessFileName !in~(WhiteList)
| project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, ServiceProcessSHA1 = InitiatingProcessSHA1, ServiceProcess = InitiatingProcessFileName, ServiceProcessCmdline = InitiatingProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessID = InitiatingProcessId, ServiceProcessCreationTime = InitiatingProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessUser = InitiatingProcessAccountName, NetworkAction = ActionType, RemoteIP, RemoteUrl
) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1
| join kind = leftouter (
DeviceFileEvents
| where TimeGenerated > ago(LookupTime)
| where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"
| where InitiatingProcessFileName !in~(WhiteList)
| project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, ServiceProcessSHA1 = InitiatingProcessSHA1, ServiceProcess = InitiatingProcessFileName, ServiceProcessCmdline = InitiatingProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessID = InitiatingProcessId, ServiceProcessCreationTime = InitiatingProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessUser = InitiatingProcessAccountName, FileAction = ActionType, ModifiedFile = FileName, ModifiedFileSHA1 = SHA1, ModifiedFilePath = FolderPath
) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1
| join kind = leftouter (
DeviceImageLoadEvents
| where TimeGenerated > ago(LookupTime)
| where InitiatingProcessParentFileName contains "services.exe"
| where InitiatingProcessFileName !in~(WhiteList)
| project TimeGenerated, DeviceName, ServiceProcessSHA1 = InitiatingProcessSHA1, ServiceProcess = InitiatingProcessFileName, ServiceProcessCmdline = InitiatingProcessCommandLine, ServiceProcessID = InitiatingProcessId, ServiceProcessCreationTime = InitiatingProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessUser = InitiatingProcessAccountName, LoadedDLL = FileName, LoadedDLLSHA1 = SHA1, LoadedDLLPath = FolderPath
) on DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1
| summarize ConnectedAddresses = make_set(RemoteIP, 100000), ConnectedUrls = make_set(RemoteUrl, 100000), FilesModified = make_set(ModifiedFile, 100000),FileModFolderPath = make_set(ModifiedFilePath, 100000),FileModHA1s = make_set(ModifiedFileSHA1, 100000), ChildProcesses = make_set(StartedChildProcess, 100000), ChildCommandlines = make_set(StartedChildProcessCmdline, 100000), DLLsLoaded = make_set(LoadedDLL, 100000), DLLSHA1 = make_set(LoadedDLLSHA1, 100000) by DeviceName, ServiceProcess, ServiceProcessCmdline, ServiceProcessCreationTime, ServiceProcessID, ServiceProcessUser, ServiceProcessSHA1
| extend HostName = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, 0, indexof(DeviceName, '.')), DeviceName)
| extend DnsDomain = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, indexof(DeviceName, '.') + 1), "")

Declared entities

HostProcess

Related content

Links established from declared identifiers and solution manifests.

Source provenance

GitHub

Displayed values come from files in Azure/Azure-Sentinel. They describe the published template, not your workspace configuration.

Source identifier
91a451e3-178f-41b2-9e5d-da97d75b9971
Additional source files 2Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Analytic Rules/Persistence/RareProcessAsService.yamlsource ↗Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Data/Solution_Microsoft Defender XDR.jsonsolution-membership ↗
GSTEP / CATALOG TRACKING

Added to catalog : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC
Last change observed : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC

GSTEP sync dates, separate from the source content’s publication dates.