RunDLL Loading DLL By Ordinal
Description
The following analytic detects rundll32.exe loading a DLL export function by ordinal value. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process command-line executions. This behavior is significant because adversaries may use rundll32.exe to execute malicious code while evading security tools that do not monitor this process. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to system compromise, privilege escalation, or persistent access within the environment.
- Type: TTP
- Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
- Datamodel: Endpoint
- Last Updated: 2024-05-20
- Author: Michael Haag, David Dorsey, Splunk
- ID: 6c135f8d-5e60-454e-80b7-c56eed739833
Annotations
ATT&CK
Kill Chain Phase
- Exploitation
NIST
- DE.CM
CIS20
- CIS 10
CVE
Search
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| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` values(Processes.process) as process min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where `process_rundll32` by Processes.dest Processes.user Processes.parent_process_name Processes.process_name Processes.original_file_name Processes.process Processes.process_id Processes.parent_process_id
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| where match(process,"rundll32.+\#\d+")
| `rundll_loading_dll_by_ordinal_filter`
Macros
The SPL above uses the following Macros:
rundll_loading_dll_by_ordinal_filter is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.
Required fields
List of fields required to use this analytic.
- _time
- Processes.dest
- Processes.user
- Processes.parent_process_name
- Processes.parent_process
- Processes.original_file_name
- Processes.process_name
- Processes.process
- Processes.process_id
- Processes.parent_process_path
- Processes.process_path
- Processes.parent_process_id
How To Implement
The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the Processes
node of the Endpoint
data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
Known False Positives
False positives are possible with native utilities and third party applications. Filtering may be needed based on command-line, or add world writeable paths to restrict query.
Associated Analytic Story
RBA
Risk Score | Impact | Confidence | Message |
---|---|---|---|
49.0 | 70 | 70 | A rundll32 process $process_name$ with ordinal parameter like this process commandline $process$ on host $dest$. |
The Risk Score is calculated by the following formula: Risk Score = (Impact * Confidence/100). Initial Confidence and Impact is set by the analytic author.
Reference
- https://thedfirreport.com/2022/02/07/qbot-likes-to-move-it-move-it/
- https://twitter.com/M_haggis/status/1491109262428635136
- https://twitter.com/pr0xylife/status/1590394227758104576
Test Dataset
Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py
tool or the UI.
Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range
source | version: 7