Sigma rule: VMMap Unsigned Dbghelp.DLL Potential Sideloading

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-b74c4a08a682, updated 2023-09-05T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
VMMap Unsigned Dbghelp.DLL Potential Sideloading
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2023-07-28
Modified
2023-09-05
File
rules/windows/image_load/image_load_side_load_vmmap_dbghelp_unsigned.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potential DLL sideloading of an unsigned dbghelp.dll by the Sysinternals VMMap.

Log source

product
windows
category
image_load

Detection

selection:
    ImageLoaded|contains: 'C:\Debuggers\dbghelp.dll'
    Image|endswith:
        - '\vmmap.exe'
        - '\vmmap64.exe'
filter_main_signed:
    Signed: 'true'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.persistence
  • attack.privilege-escalation
  • attack.execution
  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1574.001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

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/image_load/image_load_side_load_vmmap_dbghelp_unsigned.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "VMMap Unsigned Dbghelp.DLL Potential Sideloading" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/image_load/image_load_side_load_vmmap_dbghelp_unsigned.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: VMMap Unsigned Dbghelp.DLL Potential Sideloading",
entity page, dataset version ref-b74c4a08a682, updated 2023-09-05T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/273a8dd8-3742-4302-bcc7-7df5a80fe425 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 273a8dd8-3742-4302-bcc7-7df5a80fe425, 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.