Windows Suspicious QEMU Execution

SPLUNK detection rule by Raven Tait, Splunk · Apache-2.0

Detects execution of the QEMU binary and an image file with the -nographic flag. This causes it to run in the background without any display. This has been observed as a persistence and initial access technique by some threat actors to install a rogue linux virtual machine

name: Windows Suspicious QEMU Execution
id: c4c0a2d4-0675-4fde-97b7-115145ba257c
version: 2
creation_date: '2026-05-05'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Raven Tait, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: |-
    Detects execution of the QEMU binary and an image file with the -nographic flag.
    This causes it to run in the background without any display.
    This has been observed as a persistence and initial access technique by some threat actors to install a rogue linux virtual machine
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 1
search: |-
    `sysmon`
    EventID=1
    CommandLine="*-nographic*"
    CommandLine="*.img*"
    (
        Description="*QEMU machine*"
        OR
        Product="QEMU"
        OR
        Company="*qemu*"
    )
    | fillnull
    | stats count min(_time) as firstTime
                  max(_time) as lastTime
      by Computer EventID CommandLine Description Product Company action dest
         original_file_name parent_process parent_process_exec parent_process_guid
         parent_process_id parent_process_name parent_process_path process_hash
         process_integrity_level user user_id vendor_product

    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `windows_suspicious_qemu_execution_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 virtual machine setups or automated testing environments may run QEMU with the -nographic flag. Review and whitelist approved systems to reduce false alerts.
references:
    - https://www.securonix.com/blog/crontrap-emulated-linux-environments-as-the-latest-tactic-in-malware-staging/
    - https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/windows-infected-with-backdoored-linux-vms-in-new-phishing-attacks/
drilldown_searches:
    - earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
      name: View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$" dest = "$dest$"'
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$dest$") | 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: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: Potential suspicious QEMU execution observed on $dest$ via $CommandLine$.
    entity:
        field: dest
        type: system
        score: 50
analytic_story:
    - Linux Post-Exploitation
    - Compromised Linux Host
    - Linux Privilege Escalation
    - Linux Rootkit
    - Linux Living Off The Land
    - VoidLink Cloud-Native Linux Malware
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1204.002
    - T1001
    - T1036
    - T1564.006
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1204.002/snapattack/snapattack.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

[[ currentRule.title && currentRule.title.length > 60 ? currentRule.title.slice(0, 60) + '…' : currentRule.title ]]

23e42d8d-9706-47d6-807b-6415114242f5

Propose edits, view related rules, and engage with the community through comments.

Executable code, not a declarative rule

This submission is arbitrary [[ currentRule.format ? currentRule.format.toUpperCase() : '' ]] code, not a declarative detection rule — review it as you would any script before running it, and note that it cannot be safely aggregated or auto-executed alongside YARA/Sigma/Suricata/CRS rules.

Rejected pattern present

[[ reason ]]

What does this mean?

Format & documentation suggestions

Not a security issue — this rule is valid and was accepted as-is. These are optional fields/conventions its own format recommends, mainly affecting its quality score and how well it documents itself for other reviewers.

[[ reason ]]

What do these messages mean?

[[ currentRule.title && currentRule.title.length > 60 ? currentRule.title.slice(0, 60) + '…' : currentRule.title ]]

[[ currentRule.title ]]

Community Discussion