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Applications ![Clock Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-clock.svg) 3 min read Related Products [![Advanced WildFire icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/strata_RGB_logo_Icon_Color.png)Advanced WildFire](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/product-category/advanced-wildfire/ "Advanced WildFire") * ![Profile Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-profile-grey.svg) By: * [Dominik Reichel](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/dominik-reichel/) * ![Published Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-calendar-grey.svg) Published:December 18, 2017 * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-category.svg) Categories: * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/) * [Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-tags-grey.svg) Tags: * [Emotet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/emotet/) * [![Download Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-download.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-abusing-service-control-manager-establish-persistence-non-service-applications/?pdf=download&lg=en&_wpnonce=c159619a8e "Click here to download") * [![Print Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-print.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-abusing-service-control-manager-establish-persistence-non-service-applications/?pdf=print&lg=en&_wpnonce=c159619a8e "Click here to print") Share![Down arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/down-arrow.svg) * ![Link 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Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-reddit-share.svg)](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com//www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Funit42-abusing-service-control-manager-establish-persistence-non-service-applications%2F&ts=markdown "Share in Reddit") * [![Mastodon Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-mastodon-share.svg)](https://mastodon.social/share?text=Abusing%20the%20Service%20Control%20Manager%20to%20Establish%20Persistence%20for%20Non-Service%20Applications%20https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Funit42-abusing-service-control-manager-establish-persistence-non-service-applications%2F "Share in Mastodon") Summary Unit 42 recently analysed a sample of the Emotet malware family, which is a modular bot primarily used for sending spam emails to infect victims. During the analysis, I found it uses an uncommon technique to establish persistence on a compromised system. For this technique to work, either User Account Control (UAC) has to be disabled or the file opened by a user who has an administrator account, because the malware creates a Windows service, a process which needs administrator privileges. It abuses the Windows Service Control Manager (SCM) to create and start a Windows service without the executable being a valid service application. According to the official Microsoft documentation, for executables you have to call StartServiceCtrlDispatcher() immediately in the main thread. This malware doesn't call this function, but is started by the Service Control Manager (SCM) anyway. In this blog we analyse how this is accomplished. Detailed analysis We used the below sample for this analysis: |--------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | SHA256 | fa88c77657a173c99c6cd7e78cafa6709760178d767867c42b7db3cecf83208e | According to the Microsoft documentation about [services](), a service application must either export the [ServiceMain]() function, when designed as a DLL, or call [StartServiceCtrlDispatcher()]() when designed as a EXE. The control dispatcher function always has to be called immediately in the main thread or the SCM (which is called services.exe) returns an error. As the malware is a EXE file and does not call this function in the main thread, we get an error after it has created its service via CreateService() and calls StartService(). ![servicecontrol\_1](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/servicecontrol_1.png) *Figure 1. CreateService() function parameters of Emotet* The function call to StartService() returns 0 (fail) and gives the ERROR\_SERVICE\_REQUEST\_TIMEOUT error code back. The [explanation]() of this error is as follows: *"The process for the service was started, but it did not call StartServiceCtrlDispatcher, or the thread that called StartServiceCtrlDispatcher may be blocked in a control handler function."* The trick is that the SCM executes the application for a short period of time and expects the program to call StartServiceCtrlDispatcher(). If it doesn't call the function, the executable is terminated and nothing happens. Internally, this is accomplished by remote procedure calls. The malware uses this short time of execution to create a child process which is then detached from the parent when the SCM terminates the parent process. When we take a look at the API Monitor output of services.exe we can see this behaviour: ![servicecontrol\_2](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/servicecontrol_2.png) *Figure 2. API Monitor call trace of Service Control Manager (services.exe)* We can see that services.exe creates the malware process with the following creation flags: *CREATE\_SUSPENDED | CREATE\_UNICODE\_ENVIRONMENT | DETACHED\_PROCESS | EXTENDED\_STARTUPINFO\_PRESENT* The process is first created in suspended mode by the SCM and then run via ResumeThread(). The malware creates a child process of itself before the parent process gets terminated and the child process ends up parentless. Conclusion This method is a kind of a race condition trick to abuse the SCM to run a normal executable in a way which doesn't follow the Microsoft guidelines for service applications. At the end, the executable is not run as a service application, but rather just started by the SCM. Because this happens every time the system is rebooted, it can be used as a persistency method as this malware does. I have tested this behaviour successfully in Windows 7, 8.1, and 10. This malware is flagged appropriately as such in WildFire, and detected by Traps. AutoFocus customers can investigate this activity with the[Emotet](https://autofocus.paloaltonetworks.com/#/tag/Unit42.Emotet) malware family tag. Back to top ### Tags * [Emotet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/emotet/ "Emotet") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Introducing the Adversary Playbook: First up, OilRig](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-introducing-the-adversary-playbook-first-up-oilrig/ "Introducing the Adversary Playbook: First up, OilRig") ### Related Articles * [Spoofed GlobalProtect Used to Deliver Unique WikiLoader Variant](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/global-protect-vpn-spoof-distributes-wikiloader/ "article - table of contents") * [Banking Trojan Techniques: How Financially Motivated Malware Became Infrastructure](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/banking-trojan-techniques/ "article - table of contents") * [Emotet Summary: November 2021 Through January 2022](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/emotet-malware-summary-epoch-4-5/ "article - table of contents") ## Related Malware Resources ![Pictorial representation of post-exploitation identity misuse in SPIFFE/SPIRE. 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A close-up of a computer circuit board with a central microchip is depicted. Red digital data streams in the form of glowing binary numbers and arrows appear to flow in and out of the chip, symbolizing data processing and transfer. 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A digital image of a skull formed by blue binary code on a black background, with scattered ones and zeros and digital noise, symbolizes how stealthy prompt injection attacks can exploit AI logic to bypass security controls.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/01_Malware_Category_1920x900-5-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 31, 2026 [#### Spring Ring: An Inside Look at Voice Phishing Campaigns in Microsoft Teams](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/spring-ring-voice-phishing-campaigns/) * [Cloaked Ursa](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cloaked-ursa/ "Cloaked Ursa") * [Entra ID](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/entra-id/ "Entra ID") * [Microsoft Teams](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/microsoft-teams/ "Microsoft Teams") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/spring-ring-voice-phishing-campaigns/ "Spring Ring: An Inside Look at Voice Phishing Campaigns in Microsoft Teams") ![Pictorial representation of AI-enabled malware. A vibrant digital interface displaying various icons and graphs, resembling a futuristic network or data analysis dashboard. 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Close-up view of a digital screen displaying a glitched and pixelated image of a skull-like shape.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/02_Malware_Category_1920x900-2-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 20, 2026 [#### Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/) * [Authentication](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/authentication/ "authentication") * [Identity theft](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/identity-theft/ "identity theft") * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malware/ "malware") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/ "Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels") ![Pictorial representation of Kimwolf botnet malware family. Digital screen with a warning sign reading "Malware." 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A close-up of a computer circuit board with a central microchip is depicted. Red digital data streams in the form of glowing binary numbers and arrows appear to flow in and out of the chip. The scene is illuminated with a futuristic blue and red glow.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/04_Malware_Category_1920x900-4-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 10, 2026 [#### The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum's Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/) * [Aeternum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aeternum/ "Aeternum") * [Infection chain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/infection-chain/ "infection chain") * [JSON](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/json/ "JSON") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/ "The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum’s Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications") ![Pictorial representation of ChainDrop, a self-propagating npm worm. An artistic depiction of a digital workspace featuring an open laptop with a red virus on the screen.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/03_Malware_Category_1920x900-7-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) August 6, 2026 [#### ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/) * [Blockchain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/blockchain/ "blockchain") * [ChainDrop](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chaindrop/ "ChainDrop") * [Claude code](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/claude-code/ "Claude code") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/ "ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm") ![Pictorial representation of Token-jacking. A person types on a laptop with multiple digital interface elements projected, including an "AI" icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_1246251272-2-786x369.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 6, 2026 [#### Token Jacking: Cybercriminals Could Be Stealing Your AI Resources](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-token-jacking/) * [AI API](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai-api/ "AI API") * [AI gateway](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai-gateway/ "AI gateway") * [API keys](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/api-keys/ "API keys") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-token-jacking/ "Token Jacking: Cybercriminals Could Be Stealing Your AI Resources") * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) ![Close button](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/close-modal.svg) ![Enlarged Image]() ![Newsletter](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/unit42-footer-subscribe-desktop.png) ![UNIT 42 Small Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/palo-alto-logo-small.svg) Get updates from Unit 42 ## Peace of mind comes from staying ahead of threats. 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