nbtstat.exe
Sources: 300M+ executions observed in the wild.
Summary
NetBIOS over TCP/IP statistics. Displays NetBIOS name tables, cache, and session information. Used for network reconnaissance to enumerate hosts, discover shared resources, and map network topology.
nbtstat.exe is the 1349th most commonly executed Windows program in EchoTrail's dataset, observed 954 times across enterprise environments. It typically runs from C:\Windows\System32 and it is most often launched by ngvpnmgr.exe.
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Behavior
Top Paths
- C:\Windows\System32100%
Top Hashes (SHA256)
- 743a1b81032b8dc005056912b6640f2474da674e4b56674efac4cd4823d3b0f644.64%
- ec03ac239e171994c91a0818d66972284d940d40bda1d8c09e65349f83297f2216.18%
- 6210fa6ade115dd07409cfae21683b1772d6d3fdb6b438814cacbd3588dad9e312.5%
- fd1234a2143d68f0f1f505604aef3c6f115624ebf59c738fc0a833a01ae0c0fa12.5%
- f63d1a87e8d264321bd2ef30b017758ef77cf741849f3f7f214bb169c0c9a4619.35%
- 41c05b8342add13aef5f2cf291c18cf4aff0db4d62539c4d48f35d1ab1db05702.52%
- 778cd1ebfdc9fa6457497741da5431e4de16f2fad490ed88ade6e3bec16096b12.1%
- 28c46c4ee53050720e06c4bb0d1f64aef651438e3a712398d488426355a330c70.21%
Process Ancestry
Top Grandparents
- services.exe90.99%
- WmiPrvSE.exe5.27%
- explorer.exe2.2%
- userinit.exe0.88%
Top Parents
- ngvpnmgr.exe83.23%
- cmd.exe16.04%
- explorer.exe0.42%
Top Children
- conhost.exe100%
Security Analysis
What does nbtstat.exe normally do?
Runs from C:\Windows\System32. Used by network administrators to troubleshoot NetBIOS name resolution issues. "nbtstat -n" shows local name table, "nbtstat -A <IP>" queries remote hosts.
When is nbtstat.exe suspicious?
Sequential queries against multiple IP addresses (network scanning). Execution by non-admin users. Queries against external IP ranges. Execution from unusual parent processes.
How do attackers abuse nbtstat.exe?
NETWORK RECONNAISSANCE: Attackers use nbtstat to discover hosts and shared resources on the network. - "nbtstat -A <IP>" reveals the hostname, domain membership, and logged-in user of a remote host - "nbtstat -c" shows cached NetBIOS name entries (recently contacted hosts) - Scripted loops across IP ranges for network enumeration Often part of the initial discovery phase after gaining a foothold.
Detection guidance
MEDIUM-CONFIDENCE: - nbtstat.exe with -A flag against multiple IPs in succession - nbtstat.exe executed by non-admin users - nbtstat.exe in combination with other discovery tools (net.exe, nltest.exe, ping.exe) DATA SOURCES: Process creation with command line (Sysmon 1)
False positive notes
Network administrators troubleshooting NetBIOS name resolution. Automated monitoring scripts checking host availability. Some legacy applications rely on NetBIOS name resolution.
Related Processes
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