Sigma rule: Potential COLDSTEEL RAT File Indicators

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-484c9c802b0d, updated 2023-04-30T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Potential COLDSTEEL RAT File Indicators
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2023-04-30
File
rules-emerging-threats/2023/Malware/COLDSTEEL/file_event_win_malware_coldsteel_renamed_cmd.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the creation of a file named "dllhost.exe" in the "C:\users\public\Documents\" directory. Seen being used by the COLDSTEEL RAT in some of its variants.

Log source

product
windows
category
file_event

Detection

selection:
    TargetFilename: 'C:\users\public\Documents\dllhost.exe'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.persistence
  • detection.emerging-threats
  • attack.stealth

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/2023/Malware/COLDSTEEL/file_event_win_malware_coldsteel_renamed_cmd.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential COLDSTEEL RAT File Indicators" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2023/Malware/COLDSTEEL/file_event_win_malware_coldsteel_renamed_cmd.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 COLDSTEEL RAT File Indicators",
entity page, dataset version ref-484c9c802b0d, updated 2023-04-30T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/c708a93f-46b4-4674-a5b8-54aa6219c5fa (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule c708a93f-46b4-4674-a5b8-54aa6219c5fa, 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.