Potential DLL Sideloading Via comctl32.dll — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Subhash Popuri (@pbssubhash). Source status: test; severity: high. Source dates: 2022-12-16 / 2022-12-19.

{
  "category": "image_load",
  "product": "windows"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 95b7bf20cc8dc7a273c410e2603e2d8f69172896ff97b6127f4560daf2362984

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: Potential DLL Sideloading Via comctl32.dll
id: 6360757a-d460-456c-8b13-74cf0e60cceb
status: test
description: Detects potential DLL sideloading using comctl32.dll to obtain system privileges
references:
    - https://github.com/binderlabs/DirCreate2System
    - https://github.com/sailay1996/awesome_windows_logical_bugs/blob/60cbb23a801f4c3195deac1cc46df27c225c3d07/dir_create2system.txt
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Subhash Popuri (@pbssubhash)
date: 2022-12-16
modified: 2022-12-19
tags:
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.execution
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1574.001
logsource:
    category: image_load
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ImageLoaded|startswith:
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\logonUI.exe.local\'
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\werFault.exe.local\'
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\consent.exe.local\'
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\narrator.exe.local\'
            - 'C:\windows\system32\wermgr.exe.local\'
        ImageLoaded|endswith: '\comctl32.dll'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unlikely

Source references

• https://github.com/binderlabs/DirCreate2System
• https://github.com/sailay1996/awesome_windows_logical_bugs/blob/60cbb23a801f4c3195deac1cc46df27c225c3d07/dir_create2system.txt