ngentask.exe
Sources: 300M+ executions observed in the wild.
Summary
.NET Native Image Generation Task triggers ngen.exe to pre-compile .NET assemblies during idle time or after software installation for improved startup performance.
ngentask.exe is the 99th most commonly executed Windows program in EchoTrail's dataset, observed 241,634 times across enterprise environments. It typically runs from C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319 and it is most often launched by taskhostw.exe.
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Behavior
Top Paths
- C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.3031950.4%
- C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.3031949.6%
Top Hashes (SHA256)
- cd5f04dfda34aab11b089a8b0c63425a05046fc20adafb42190c5839e4d294a510.29%
- 6873457e55d24997855b89e9a7a9196d14bceed4b1cc660e388d2394c354ba7510.23%
- 21cfa6bbc96779923e21ca05f14a32ab24cf45eb0c448aa0c4f60b71635924d89.09%
- ff70c1b71440e34931eb8ef97236f3cb2bb2668c72e7a3338660ced5c0753af88.87%
- 4583b06da707a1b0bde4d0848bb5bde9441e71aa2593aac2bc5c4555b66030c16.97%
- c4db063d8de31c0a64d172950f857509ee97baa488d8678d48eb6e75b17527b06.86%
- 78be347ab68fcfe48db857f533955792eb84918cebbd7060eaedee5a7abe99124.01%
- e78c455fc175bf66fe98386c1b5b60c07d928aca3122da528676a768dc7136b63.95%
- 353c8c617c87a56f93c9914e219be4e30a45a0dea8d98bf34c6bd81a6a2879163.38%
- ac1b312b5d048dac81327cf083bdef2966aa883208455490e73d6e34c932b7d93.36%
Process Ancestry
Top Grandparents
- svchost.exe60.92%
- taskhostw.exe35.69%
- taskhost.exe3.02%
- services.exe0.37%
- OfficeClickToRun.exe<0.01%
Top Parents
- taskhostw.exe56.44%
- ngentask.exe32.48%
- taskhost.exe10.94%
- taskhostex.exe0.13%
- conhost.exe<0.01%
- OfficeClickToRun.exe<0.01%
- dllhost.exe<0.01%
- msoia.exe<0.01%
Top Children
- ngen.exe95.88%
- conhost.exe2.98%
- ngentask.exe1.13%
- WerFault.exe<0.01%
- jcosqueryi.exe<0.01%
- mscorsvw.exe<0.01%
Security Analysis
What does ngentask.exe normally do?
Located in C:\Windows\System32 or standard Windows/Office paths. Part of normal Windows or Office operations.
When is ngentask.exe suspicious?
Running from non-standard paths. Parent process other than expected. Spawning shells or unusual child processes.
How do attackers abuse ngentask.exe?
Not commonly abused.
Detection guidance
Low priority. Validate path and parent process.
False positive notes
Normal system/Office operation.
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