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MediumSplunk security contentMichael Haag +1

Suspicious MSBuild Spawn

The following analytic identifies instances where wmiprvse.exe spawns msbuild.exe, which is unusual and indicative of potential misuse of a COM object. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and…

Description

The following analytic identifies instances where wmiprvse.exe spawns msbuild.exe, which is unusual and indicative of potential misuse of a COM object. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process relationships and command-line executions. This activity is significant because msbuild.exe is typically spawned by devenv.exe during legitimate Visual Studio use, not by wmiprvse.exe. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could indicate an attacker executing arbitrary code or scripts, potentially leading to system compromise or further malicious activities.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform
Windows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.

Log source category
crowdstrike_processrollup2sysmon_eventid_1windows_event_log_security_4688

Known benign triggers

  • Although unlikely, some legitimate applications may exhibit this behavior, triggering a false positive.

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