Sigma rule: Rundll32 Spawned Via Explorer.EXE

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-463fdf6f0060, updated 2023-08-31T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Rundll32 Spawned Via Explorer.EXE
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
CD_ROM_
Date
2022-05-21
Modified
2023-08-31
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_parent_explorer.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of "rundll32.exe" with a parent process of Explorer.exe. This has been observed by variants of Raspberry Robin, as first reported by Red Canary.

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_parent:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\explorer.exe'
selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\rundll32.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'RUNDLL32.EXE'
filter_main_generic:
    - CommandLine|contains: ' C:\Windows\System32\' # The space at the start is required
    - CommandLine|endswith: ' -localserver 22d8c27b-47a1-48d1-ad08-7da7abd79617' # Windows 10 volume control
condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.stealth

References

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_parent_explorer.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Rundll32 Spawned Via Explorer.EXE" by CD_ROM_ (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_parent_explorer.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Rundll32 Spawned Via Explorer.EXE",
entity page, dataset version ref-463fdf6f0060, updated 2023-08-31T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/1723e720-616d-4ddc-ab02-f7e3685a4713 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 1723e720-616d-4ddc-ab02-f7e3685a4713, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.