Sigma rule: VMGuestLib DLL Sideload

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-216428796428, updated 2022-12-01T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
VMGuestLib DLL Sideload
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-12-01
File
rules/windows/image_load/image_load_side_load_vmguestlib.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects DLL sideloading of VMGuestLib.dll by the WmiApSrv service.

Log source

product
windows
category
image_load

Detection

selection:
    ImageLoaded|contains|all:
        - '\VMware\VMware Tools\vmStatsProvider\win32'
        - '\vmGuestLib.dll'
    Image|endswith: '\Windows\System32\wbem\WmiApSrv.exe'
filter:
    Signed: 'true'
condition: selection and not filter

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • FP could occur if the legitimate version of vmGuestLib already exists on the system

Tags

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

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

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_vmguestlib.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "VMGuestLib DLL Sideload" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/image_load/image_load_side_load_vmguestlib.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: VMGuestLib DLL Sideload",
entity page, dataset version ref-216428796428, updated 2022-12-01T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/70e8e9b4-6a93-4cb7-8cde-da69502e7aff (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 70e8e9b4-6a93-4cb7-8cde-da69502e7aff, 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.