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MediumSplunk security contentMichael Haag +1

Windows WSUS Spawning Shell

The following analytic identifies instances where a shell (PowerShell.exe or Cmd.exe) is spawned from wsusservice.exe, the Windows Server Update Services process. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection…

Description

The following analytic identifies instances where a shell (PowerShell.exe or Cmd.exe) is spawned from wsusservice.exe, the Windows Server Update Services process. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process creation events where the parent process is wsusservice.exe. This activity is significant as it may indicate exploitation of CVE-2025-59287, a critical deserialization vulnerability in WSUS that allows unauthenticated remote code execution. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to execute arbitrary commands on WSUS servers, potentially leading to system compromise, data exfiltration, domain enumeration, or further lateral movement within the network.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform
ContainersESXiIaaSLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesWindows

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.

Log source category
crowdstrike_processrollup2sysmon_eventid_1windows_event_log_security_4688

Known benign triggers

  • Legitimate WSUS maintenance scripts or administrative tools may spawn shells in rare cases. However, wsusservice.exe spawning interactive shells is highly abnormal behavior. Review the command line arguments and user context to determine legitimacy. Filter known administrative scripts if needed.

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