200-201 Host-Based Analysis Practice Question
An analyst is investigating a Windows system where a suspicious executable is running. Using Process Explorer, the analyst observes that the process 'svchost.exe' has a parent process of 'cmd.exe'. What is the significance of this parent-child relationship?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It indicates that svchost.exe is likely malicious, as it should be spawned by services.exe
Legitimate svchost.exe processes are spawned by services.exe, not cmd.exe. A parent of cmd.exe indicates that svchost.exe was launched manually, which is abnormal and suggests malicious activity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It shows that svchost.exe is a critical system process and is safe
Why it's wrong here
A cmd.exe parent indicates svchost.exe was spawned from a command shell, a hallmark of process injection or masquerading, not proof of legitimacy. The option is tempting because genuine svchost.exe instances are critical Windows services, but those are launched by services.exe, never by cmd.exe.
- ✓
It indicates that svchost.exe is likely malicious, as it should be spawned by services.exe
Why this is correct
Legitimate svchost.exe instances are launched by services.exe, so a cmd.exe parent reveals a process masquerading under that name — a common malware technique. The anomalous parentage, not the filename itself, is the indicator satisfying the scenario's suspicious-executable constraint.
- ✗
It suggests that svchost.exe is a child of explorer.exe, which is normal
Why it's wrong here
The observed parent is cmd.exe, not explorer.exe, so this misstates the evidence entirely. Explorer.exe as parent would be unremarkable for user-launched applications, which is why the option feels plausible, yet svchost.exe should instead be parented by services.exe under normal Windows operation.
- ✗
It is normal behavior; svchost.exe often has cmd.exe as parent
Why it's wrong here
Svchost.exe is normally spawned by services.exe, so a cmd.exe parent is anomalous and warrants investigation. The option appeals because svchost.exe is ubiquitous and often dismissed as benign background noise, but legitimate instances are never launched from a command shell.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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