Sigma rule: Suspicious Rundll32 Execution With Image Extension

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-352ff4c0186d, updated 2023-03-13T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Suspicious Rundll32 Execution With Image Extension
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Hieu Tran
Date
2023-03-13
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_susp_execution_with_image_extension.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution of Rundll32.exe with DLL files masquerading as image files

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\rundll32.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'RUNDLL32.exe'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '.bmp'
        - '.cr2'
        - '.eps'
        - '.gif'
        - '.ico'
        - '.jpeg'
        - '.jpg'
        - '.nef'
        - '.orf'
        - '.png'
        - '.raw'
        - '.sr2'
        - '.tif'
        - '.tiff'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1218.011

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/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_susp_execution_with_image_extension.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Suspicious Rundll32 Execution With Image Extension" by Hieu Tran (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_rundll32_susp_execution_with_image_extension.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 Rundll32 Execution With Image Extension",
entity page, dataset version ref-352ff4c0186d, updated 2023-03-13T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/4aa6040b-3f28-44e3-a769-9208e5feb5ec (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 4aa6040b-3f28-44e3-a769-9208e5feb5ec, 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.