TA0002 · EXECUTION
Service Execution
Adversaries may abuse the Windows service control manager to execute malicious commands or payloads. The Windows service control manager ( services.exe ) is an interface to manage and manipulate services.
Detect it with
Changes to service Registry entries and command line invocation of tools capable of modifying services that do not correlate with known software, patch cycles, etc., may be suspicious.
Why it matters on shift
Service Execution is one of the concrete ways adversaries achieve execution. Recognising it in telemetry lets you name the technique in your ticket and pivot to what came before and after.
What to look for next
After execution, the next tactic is usually Persistence. Search your telemetry for the transition before closing the ticket.
Kill-chain context