Windows Unusual SysWOW64 Process Run System32 Executable

name: Windows Unusual SysWOW64 Process Run System32 Executable
id: e4602172-db86-4315-86df-da66fb40bcde
version: 6
creation_date: '2022-12-06'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic detects an unusual process execution pattern where a process running from C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ attempts to execute a binary from C:\Windows\System32\. In a typical Windows environment, 32-bit processes under SysWOW64 should primarily interact with 32-bit binaries within the same directory. However, an execution flow where a 32-bit process spawns a 64-bit binary from System32 can indicate potential process injection, privilege escalation, evasion techniques, or unauthorized execution hijacking.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 1
    - Windows Event Log Security 4688
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_path = "*\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\*" AND Processes.process = "*windows\\system32\\*" 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)` | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_unusual_syswow64_process_run_system32_executable_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: some legitimate system processes, software updaters, or compatibility tools may trigger this behavior, occurrences involving unknown, unsigned, or unusual parent processes should be investigated for potential malware activity, persistence mechanisms, or execution flow hijacking.
references:
    - https://www.trendmicro.com/en_nl/research/24/k/earth-estries.html
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 20
          message: a 32 bit process execute 64 bit executable on [$dest$].
threat_objects:
    - field: process_path
      type: process_name
analytic_story:
    - DarkGate Malware
    - Salt Typhoon
    - China-Nexus Threat Activity
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1036.009
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint