Sigma rule: Potential CVE-2021-40444 Exploitation Attempt

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-9f44c2cfe805, updated 2023-02-04T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Potential CVE-2021-40444 Exploitation Attempt
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), @neonprimetime
Date
2021-09-08
Modified
2023-02-04
File
rules-emerging-threats/2021/Exploits/CVE-2021-40444/proc_creation_win_exploit_cve_2021_40444.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potential exploitation of CVE-2021-40444 via suspicious process patterns seen in in-the-wild exploitations

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Image|endswith: '\control.exe'
    ParentImage|endswith:
        - '\winword.exe'
        - '\powerpnt.exe'
        - '\excel.exe'
filter:
    CommandLine|endswith:
        - '\control.exe input.dll'
        - '\control.exe" input.dll'
condition: selection and not filter

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.execution
  • attack.t1059
  • cve.2021-40444
  • detection.emerging-threats

CVEs this rule names

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-emerging-threats/2021/Exploits/CVE-2021-40444/proc_creation_win_exploit_cve_2021_40444.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential CVE-2021-40444 Exploitation Attempt" by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), @neonprimetime (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2021/Exploits/CVE-2021-40444/proc_creation_win_exploit_cve_2021_40444.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: Potential CVE-2021-40444 Exploitation Attempt",
entity page, dataset version ref-9f44c2cfe805, updated 2023-02-04T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/894397c6-da03-425c-a589-3d09e7d1f750 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 894397c6-da03-425c-a589-3d09e7d1f750, 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.