Sigma rule: Potential Emotet Rundll32 Execution

Rule

Title

Potential Emotet Rundll32 Execution

Status

test

Level

critical

Author

FPT.EagleEye

Date

2020-12-25

Modified

2023-02-21

File

rules-emerging-threats/2020/Malware/Emotet/proc_creation_win_malware_emotet_rundll32_execution.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detecting Emotet DLL loading by looking for rundll32.exe processes with command lines ending in ,RunDLL or ,Control_RunDLL

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\rundll32.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'RUNDLL32.EXE'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|endswith:
        - ',RunDLL'
        - ',Control_RunDLL'
        # - ',#1'  too generic - function load by ordinal is not Emotet specific
filter_legitimate_dll:
    CommandLine|endswith:
        - '.dll,Control_RunDLL'
        - '.dll",Control_RunDLL'
        - '.dll'',Control_RunDLL'
filter_ide:
    ParentImage|endswith: '\tracker.exe' # When Visual Studio compile NodeJS program, it might use MSBuild to create tracker.exe and then, the tracker.exe fork rundll32.exe
condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1218.011
• detection.emerging-threats

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1218.011

References

• https://paste.cryptolaemus.com/emotet/2020/12/22/emotet-malware-IoCs_12-22-20.html
• https://cyber.wtf/2021/11/15/guess-whos-back/

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2020/Malware/Emotet/proc_creation_win_malware_emotet_rundll32_execution.yml