Execution Of Non-Existing File

 1title: Execution Of Non-Existing File
 2id: 71158e3f-df67-472b-930e-7d287acaa3e1
 3status: test
 4description: |
 5    Detects process creation events where the Image field lacks an absolute path,
 6    which occurs when the backing file no longer exists on disk at the time of
 7    logging - commonly caused by Process Ghosting or other unorthodox process creation techniques.    
 8references:
 9    - https://pentestlaboratories.com/2021/12/08/process-ghosting/
10    - https://www.elastic.co/blog/process-ghosting-a-new-executable-image-tampering-attack
11author: Max Altgelt (Nextron Systems)
12date: 2021-12-09
13modified: 2026-07-05
14tags:
15    - attack.stealth
16    - attack.privilege-escalation
17    - attack.t1055
18logsource:
19    category: process_creation
20    product: windows
21detection:
22    filter_main_image_absolute_path:
23        Image|contains: '\'
24    filter_optional_null:
25        Image: null
26    filter_optional_empty:
27        Image:
28            - '-'
29            - ''
30    filter_optional_4688:
31        - Image:
32              - 'MemCompression'
33              - 'Registry'
34              - 'System'
35              - 'vmmem'
36              - 'vmmemWSL'
37        - CommandLine:
38              - 'MemCompression'
39              - 'Registry'
40              - 'vmmem'
41              - 'vmmemWSL'
42    condition: not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
43falsepositives:
44    - Unknown
45level: high