orphanproc Volatility3 Plugin

[malfav]

OrphanProcs Plugin — Volatility 3

OrphanProcs is a custom plugin for the Volatility 3 memory forensics framework.
Its primary function is to detect and list processes whose parent process (PPID) is no longer active — commonly referred to as orphan processes.

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Overview

In digital forensics and incident response (DFIR), orphan processes can indicate:

• Malware attempting to hide its original lineage
• Misconfigured or compromised systems
• Suspicious process spawning or persistence mechanisms

The OrphanProcs plugin helps identify such anomalies during memory analysis.

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How It Works

The plugin:

1. Scans all active processes in the memory image.
2. Compares each process's Parent Process ID (PPID) against the list of all active Process IDs (PIDs).
3. Flags any process whose parent is missing or invalid as an orphan.

A process is classified as orphaned if:

• Its PPID is not found among active PIDs (MISSING_PARENT), or
• Its PPID is 0 (System Idle Process) but the process itself is not the System process (PID 4) (SYSTEM_CHILD).

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Output Fields

Field	Description
Process	Executable name (ImageFileName)
PID	Process ID
PPID	Parent Process ID
Status	Classification of the orphan process: • MISSING_PARENT – Parent terminated • SYSTEM_CHILD – Child of System Idle Process (PPID 0) • ORPHAN – General orphan classification
Path	Full path to the executable file

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Optional Arguments

• include_system — Include the System Idle Process (PID 0) and System process (PID 4) in the results.