Suspicious Rundll32 PluginInit
The following analytic identifies the execution of the rundll32.exe process with the "plugininit" parameter. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process…
Description
The following analytic identifies the execution of the rundll32.exe process with the "plugininit" parameter. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process creation events and command-line arguments. This activity is significant because the "plugininit" parameter is commonly associated with IcedID malware, which uses it to execute an initial DLL stager to download additional payloads. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could lead to further malware infections, data exfiltration, or complete system compromise.
Detection logic
Detection requirements
- Platform
- Windows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- crowdstrike_processrollup2sysmon_eventid_1windows_event_log_security_4688
Known benign triggers
- third party application may used this dll export name to execute function.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| threatpost.com/icedid-banking-trojan-surges-emotet/165314/ | 2 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 92d51712-ee29-11eb-b1ae-acde48001122
- Tagged by the source as
- IcedIDEndpointendpointSplunk CloudSplunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Securityendpoint
Licence
- Published under
- Apache License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
- Obtained under
- Apache-2.0Read the origin licence
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Aug 26, 2026
- Version
- 1