Potential DLL Side-Loading via Trusted Microsoft Programs

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Potential DLL Side-Loading via Trusted Microsoft Programs

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Identifies an instance of a Windows trusted program that is known to be vulnerable to DLL Search Order Hijacking starting after being renamed or from a non-standard path. This is uncommon behavior and may indicate an attempt to evade defenses via side loading a malicious DLL within the memory space of one of those processes.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-endpoint.events.*
  • logs-windows.*
  • endgame-*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References: None

Tags:

  • Domain: Endpoint
  • OS: Windows
  • Use Case: Threat Detection
  • Tactic: Defense Evasion
  • Tactic: Execution
  • Data Source: Elastic Endgame
  • Data Source: Elastic Defend

Version: 108

Rule authors:

  • Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and
  process.pe.original_file_name in ("WinWord.exe", "EXPLORER.EXE", "w3wp.exe", "DISM.EXE") and
  not (process.name : ("winword.exe", "explorer.exe", "w3wp.exe", "Dism.exe") or
         process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\explorer.exe",
                               "?:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Office\\root\\Office*\\WINWORD.EXE",
                               "?:\\Program Files?(x86)\\Microsoft Office\\root\\Office*\\WINWORD.EXE",
                               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\Dism.exe",
                               "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\Dism.exe",
                               "?:\\Windows\\System32\\inetsrv\\w3wp.exe")
         )

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM