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200-201 Practice Question: During a host-based analysis of a Windows system,…
During a host-based analysis of a Windows system, an analyst finds that the Windows Event ID 4688 (process creation) logs show a child process spawning from a legitimate application, but the parent process path is empty. What does this likely indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that an empty parent path indicates log corruption or a terminated parent, but the correct interpretation is that WMI-based process creation deliberately omits the parent path in Event ID 4688.
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
✓
The process was spawned via a WMI call without a parent path
When a process is spawned via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), the parent process path is often empty in Event ID 4688 logs because WMI creates the child process in a way that does not preserve the standard parent-child relationship. This occurs because WMI uses the `Win32_Process.Create` method, which runs under the WMI provider host process (WmiPrvSE.exe) but does not populate the parent process path field in the security log. The empty parent path is a strong indicator of WMI-based process creation, which is commonly used for lateral movement or persistence by attackers.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The parent process was terminated immediately after spawning
Why it's wrong here
Termination does not empty the parent path in the event log.
- ✓
The process was spawned via a WMI call without a parent path
Why this is correct
WMI spawns often result in empty parent path fields.
- ✗
The event log is corrupted
Why it's wrong here
Corruption would cause missing events entirely, not just missing paths.
- ✗
The process is a kernel thread
Why it's wrong here
Kernel threads do not generate process creation events.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.