Suspicious SearchProtocolHost.exe parent process

Cortex XDR Analytics Alert Reference by Alert name

Product
Cortex XDR
Last date published
2024-09-24
Category
Analytics Alert Reference
Order
Alert name

Synopsis

Activation Period

14 Days

Training Period

30 Days

Test Period

N/A (single event)

Deduplication Period

6 Hours

Required Data

  • Requires:
    • XDR Agent

Detection Modules

Detector Tags

ATT&CK Tactic

ATT&CK Technique

Severity

Medium

Description

SearchProtocolHost.exe has been launched from a process that is different from SearchIndexer.exe
This may indicate malicious activity (such as malware later being injected to it, or it being used for phantom DLL hijacking).

Attacker's Goals

Gain code execution on the host and evade security controls.

Investigative actions

Check whether the executing process is benign, and if this was a desired behavior as part of its normal execution flow.