Sigma rule: Suspicious Volume Shadow Copy Vssapi.dll Load

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-8c9ad067c6b4, updated 2026-08-27T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Suspicious Volume Shadow Copy Vssapi.dll Load
Status
test
Level
high
Author
frack113
Date
2022-10-31
Modified
2026-08-27
File
rules/windows/image_load/image_load_dll_vssapi_susp_load.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the image load of VSS DLL by uncommon executables

Log source

product
windows
category
image_load

Detection

selection:
    ImageLoaded|endswith: '\vssapi.dll'
filter_main_windows:
    - Image:
          - 'C:\Windows\explorer.exe'
          - 'C:\Windows\ImmersiveControlPanel\SystemSettings.exe'
          - 'C:\Windows\servicing\TrustedInstaller.exe'
    - Image|startswith:
          - 'C:\Windows\System32\'
          - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\'
          - 'C:\Windows\Temp\{' # Installers
          - 'C:\Windows\WinSxS\'
          - 'C:\$WinREAgent\Scratch\'
filter_main_program_files:
    # When using this rule in your environment replace the "Program Files" folder by the exact applications you know use this. Examples would be software such as backup solutions
    Image|startswith:
        - 'C:\Program Files\'
        - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\'
filter_main_null_image:
    Image: null
filter_optional_programdata_packagecache:
    # The following filter is required because of many FPs cause by:
    #   C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{10c6cfdc-27af-43fe-bbd3-bd20aae88451}\dotnet-sdk-3.1.425-win-x64.exe
    #   C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{b9cfa33e-ace4-49f4-8bb4-82ded940990a}\windowsdesktop-runtime-6.0.11-win-x86.exe
    #   C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{50264ff2-ad47-4569-abc4-1c350f285fb9}\aspnetcore-runtime-6.0.11-win-x86.exe
    #   C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\{2dcef8c3-1563-4149-a6ec-5b6c98500d7d}\dotnet-sdk-6.0.306-win-x64.exe
    #   etc.
    Image|startswith: 'C:\ProgramData\Package Cache\'
filter_optional_avira:
    Image|contains|all:
        - '\temp\is-'
        - '\avira_system_speedup.tmp'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.impact
  • attack.t1490

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_dll_vssapi_susp_load.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Suspicious Volume Shadow Copy Vssapi.dll Load" by frack113 (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/image_load/image_load_dll_vssapi_susp_load.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: Suspicious Volume Shadow Copy Vssapi.dll Load",
entity page, dataset version ref-8c9ad067c6b4, updated 2026-08-27T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/37774c23-25a1-4adb-bb6d-8bb9fd59c0f8 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 37774c23-25a1-4adb-bb6d-8bb9fd59c0f8, 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.