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InformationalSplunk security contentTeoderick Contreras +1

Windows DLL Side-Loading Process Child Of Calc

The following analytic identifies suspicious child processes spawned by calc.exe, indicative of a potential DLL side-loading technique. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents,…

Description

The following analytic identifies suspicious child processes spawned by calc.exe, indicative of a potential DLL side-loading technique. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process GUIDs, names, and parent processes. In previous versions of the "calc.exe" binary, namely on Windows 7, it was vulnerable to DLL side-loading, where an attacker is able to load an arbitrary DLL named "WindowsCodecs.dll". This activity was observed in Qakbot malware, back in 2022. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, maintain persistence, and escalate privileges, posing a severe threat to the environment.

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

  • No false positives have been identified at this time.

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