Sigma rule: Mshtml.DLL RunHTMLApplication Suspicious Usage

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-1db12d541bfc, updated 2024-02-23T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Mshtml.DLL RunHTMLApplication Suspicious Usage
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Josh Nickels, frack113, Zaw Min Htun (ZETA)
Date
2022-08-14
Modified
2024-02-23
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_mshtml_runhtmlapplication.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of commands that leverage the "mshtml.dll" RunHTMLApplication export to run arbitrary code via different protocol handlers (vbscript, javascript, file, http...)

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - '\..\'
        - 'mshtml'
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '#135'
        - 'RunHTMLApplication'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.execution
  • attack.stealth

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/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_mshtml_runhtmlapplication.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Mshtml.DLL RunHTMLApplication Suspicious Usage" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Josh Nickels, frack113, Zaw Min Htun (ZETA) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_mshtml_runhtmlapplication.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: Mshtml.DLL RunHTMLApplication Suspicious Usage",
entity page, dataset version ref-1db12d541bfc, updated 2024-02-23T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/4782eb5a-a513-4523-a0ac-f3082b26ac5c (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 4782eb5a-a513-4523-a0ac-f3082b26ac5c, 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.