Sysmon Event ID 10: ProcessAccess
- Applicable version
- Sysmon 1.0 and later; ProcessAccess logging must be enabled
- Last reviewed
- 2026-07-21
Quick summary
Sysmon Event ID 10 records one process opening another process and is a key source for detecting credential dumping, process inspection, and suspicious cross-process access.
Technical Metadata
| Event ID | 10 |
|---|---|
| Provider | Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon |
| Channel | Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational |
| Level | Informational |
| MITRE ATT&CK | TA0006 Credential Access / T1003.001 OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory |
| Key fields to watch | SourceImage, TargetImage, GrantedAccess, CallTrace |
Trigger Scenarios
The event is generated when a process opens a handle to another process under the configured Sysmon rules. Because the event can be noisy, collection should focus on sensitive target processes and meaningful access rights.
Key Fields
SourceImage
The executable requesting access. Its path, signer, command line, and parent process are central to determining whether the access is expected.
TargetImage
The process being accessed. lsass.exe is a high-priority target because access with sensitive rights can indicate credential theft.
GrantedAccess
The access mask granted to the source process. Interpret this alongside the target and source process because valid tools may require some overlapping rights.
CallTrace
The recorded call stack can help distinguish known security or management tools from unknown access paths, although symbols and modules may be incomplete.
Threat Hunting Queries
Event
| where EventLog == "Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational" and EventID == 10
| project TimeGenerated, Computer, RenderedDescription
| order by TimeGenerated desc- Data source
- Microsoft Sentinel Event table
- Assumptions
- The Sysmon Operational channel is collected into Event and retains RenderedDescription. Apply the event-specific field and correlation guidance on this page after retrieving the base events.
index=sysmon source="WinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational" EventCode=10
| table _time, host, user, EventCode, Message- Data source
- Splunk Sysmon event data
- Assumptions
- Index, source, and field aliases vary by Splunk deployment and Windows add-on version. Map provider fields from the raw event before adding event-specific filtering or aggregation.
dataset = microsoft_windows_raw
| filter edr_event_id = 10- Data source
- Cortex XDR microsoft_windows_raw
- Assumptions
- The Sysmon Operational channel is ingested into Cortex XDR. Event ID 10 is not globally unique; confirm Provider is Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon before applying Sysmon field semantics.
title: Sysmon Event ID 10
status: experimental
logsource:
product: windows
service: sysmon
detection:
selection:
EventID: 10
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate administrative or system activity
level: informational- Data source
- Sigma Windows Sysmon log source
- Assumptions
- This rule retrieves the event and is not a standalone malicious-behavior detection. Add the field conditions and correlations documented on this page in the destination SIEM.
Documented Values and Codes
| Field | Value | Meaning | Security relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrantedAccess | 0x1010 | The mask combines PROCESS_QUERY_LIMITED_INFORMATION (0x1000) and PROCESS_VM_READ (0x0010). | Against lsass.exe, these rights allow querying and reading process memory; validate expected security products before treating the access as credential dumping. Source |
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
- T1003.001OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory
Detection Notes
T1003.001 LSASS Memory triage is concrete when TargetImage is lsass.exe and GrantedAccess includes 0x1010, combining process-query and virtual-memory-read rights, from a source outside approved security-product paths. The mask alone is not proof of dumping; join SourceProcessGuid to Event ID 1 and evaluate signer, path, user, and CallTrace.
Common False Positives
- EDR, antivirus, backup, monitoring, and accessibility products often inspect other processes.
- Task Manager, debuggers, and performance tools can request process handles during normal administration.
- Broad ProcessAccess collection without filters can create large volumes that obscure high-risk activity.
Related Events
Sample Log
UtcTime: 2026-07-10 03:20:22.000
SourceImage: C:\Users\jsmith\AppData\Local\Temp\diagnostic.exe
TargetImage: C:\Windows\System32\lsass.exe
GrantedAccess: 0x1010
CallTrace: C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll+9d4c|UNKNOWN(000001F4A1230000)Frequently Asked Questions
What does Sysmon Event ID 10 record?
Sysmon Event ID 10 records one process opening another process and includes source, target, granted access, and call-trace context.
Why is access to lsass.exe important?
LSASS holds authentication material, so unexpected processes requesting memory-read rights can support credential-dumping detection, while security products and system components require allowlisting.
Does GrantedAccess 0x1010 prove credential dumping?
No. It includes query and virtual-memory read rights, but the target, source signer and path, call trace, user context, and related behavior determine whether the access is suspicious.
Sources
- Sysmon
Microsoft · vendor
- Process Security and Access Rights
Microsoft · vendor
- OS Credential Dumping: LSASS Memory (T1003.001)
MITRE ATT&CK · attack
- XDR Collector datasets
Palo Alto Networks · vendor
- Sigma Rules Specification
SigmaHQ · detection rule