I would add this: whatever you decide to do to the running binary, create a mock binary on another computer and try the exact sequence of commands/steps first.

I would add this: whatever you decide to do to the running binary, create a mock binary on another computer and try the exact sequence of commands/steps first. And verify that it doesn't disturb the mock. This should reduce risk a bit because you are not experimenting and creating your procedure on the fly when you do the actual thing. Instead, you are applying a procedure that you have rehearsed, and you have gained partial confidence that it won't disturb a similar running binary. The mock doesn't have to be a perfect reproduction of the real binary, but it should do similar things where relevant. For example, if the service listens on a TCP port, so should the mock. You might not have to code the mock from scratch; maybe some existing software is similar enough. Or maybe you can even run a non-production copy of your real binary, if you are really confident you can configure it to not interact with anything it shouldn't.