Suspicious Process Executed From Container File

name: Suspicious Process Executed From Container File
id: d8120352-3b62-411c-8cb6-7b47584dd5e8
version: 9
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Steven Dick
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic identifies a suspicious process executed from within common container/archive file types such as ZIP, ISO, IMG, and others. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line executions. This activity is significant as it is a common technique used by adversaries to execute scripts or evade defenses. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or persist within the environment, posing a significant security risk.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 1
    - Windows Event Log Security 4688
    - CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count values(Processes.process_name) as process_name min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process IN ("*.ZIP\\*","*.ISO\\*","*.IMG\\*","*.CAB\\*","*.TAR\\*","*.GZ\\*","*.RAR\\*","*.7Z\\*") AND Processes.action="allowed" by Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product | `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` | regex process="(?i).*(ZIP|ISO|IMG|CAB|TAR|GZ|RAR|7Z)\\\\.+\.(BAT|BIN|CAB|CMD|COM|CPL|EX_|EXE|GADGET|INF1|INS|INX||HTM|HTML|ISU|JAR|JOB|JS|JSE|LNK|MSC|MSI|MSP|MST|PAF|PIF|PS1|REG|RGS|SCR|SCT|SHB|SHS|U3P|VB|VBE|VBS|VBSCRIPT|WS|WSF|WSH)\"?$" | rex field=process "(?i).+\\\\(?<file_name>[^\\\]+\.(ZIP|ISO|IMG|CAB|TAR|GZ|RAR|7Z))\\\\((.+\\\\)+)?(?<process_name>.+\.(BAT|BIN|CAB|CMD|COM|CPL|EX_|EXE|GADGET|INF1|INS|INX||HTM|HTML|ISU|JAR|JOB|JS|JSE|LNK|MSC|MSI|MSP|MST|PAF|PIF|PS1|REG|RGS|SCR|SCT|SHB|SHS|U3P|VB|VBE|VBS|VBSCRIPT|WS|WSF|WSH))\"?$"| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `suspicious_process_executed_from_container_file_filter`'
how_to_implement: The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives: Various business process or userland applications and behavior.
references:
    - https://www.mandiant.com/resources/blog/tracking-evolution-gootloader-operations
    - https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/weaponizing-disk-image-files-analysis/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204/002/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$" and "$user$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$" user = "$user$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$" and "$user$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$", "$user$") starthoursago=168  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
    message: A suspicious process $process_name$ was launched from $file_name$ on $dest$.
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
        - field: user
          type: user
          score: 50
    threat_objects:
        - field: file_name
          type: file_name
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - APT37 Rustonotto and FadeStealer
        - GhostRedirector IIS Module and Rungan Backdoor
        - Unusual Processes
        - Amadey
        - Remcos
        - Snake Keylogger
        - Water Gamayun
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1204.002
        - T1036.008
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/malware/gootloader/partial_ttps/windows-sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog