Potentially Suspicious DLL Registered Via Odbcconf.EXE — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems). Source status: test; severity: high. Source dates: 2023-05-22 / not supplied.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 7e264e2697a9307f371cd4e9079ca43c3210fe4808afc0cd1ec02bd9400fa662

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: Potentially Suspicious DLL Registered Via Odbcconf.EXE
id: ba4cfc11-d0fa-4d94-bf20-7c332c412e76
related:
    - id: 9f0a8bf3-a65b-440a-8c1e-5cb1547c8e70
      type: derived
status: test
description: Detects execution of "odbcconf" with the "REGSVR" action where the DLL in question doesn't contain a ".dll" extension. Which is often used as a method to evade defenses.
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/odbc/odbcconf-exe?view=sql-server-ver16
    - https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Odbcconf/
    - https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/17/h/backdoor-carrying-emails-set-sights-on-russian-speaking-businesses.html
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2023-05-22
tags:
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1218.008
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\odbcconf.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'odbcconf.exe'
    selection_cli:
        # Note: The "/A" flag is not required to call a specific action
        CommandLine|contains: 'REGSVR '
    filter_main_dll_ext:
        CommandLine|contains: '.dll'
    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unlikely

Source references

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/odbc/odbcconf-exe?view=sql-server-ver16
• https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Odbcconf/
• https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/17/h/backdoor-carrying-emails-set-sights-on-russian-speaking-businesses.html