Sigma rule: Kapeka Backdoor Execution Via RunDLL32.EXE

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-7cf12b507cff, updated 2024-07-03T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Kapeka Backdoor Execution Via RunDLL32.EXE
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2024-07-03
File
rules-emerging-threats/2024/Malware/kapeka/proc_creation_win_malware_kapeka_backdoor_rundll32_execution.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects Kapeka backdoor process execution pattern, where the dropper launch the backdoor binary by calling rundll32 and passing the backdoor's first export ordinal (#1) with a "-d" argument.

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\rundll32.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'RUNDLL32.EXE'
selection_backdoor_path:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ':\ProgramData'
        - '\AppData\Local'
selection_backdoor_exec_1:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - '.wll'
        - '#1'
        - ' -d'
selection_backdoor_exec_2:
    # This account for the in the wild variant
    CommandLine|contains: '.wll'
    CommandLine|endswith: '#1'
condition: selection_img and selection_backdoor_path and 1 of selection_backdoor_exec_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

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

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/2024/Malware/kapeka/proc_creation_win_malware_kapeka_backdoor_rundll32_execution.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Kapeka Backdoor Execution Via RunDLL32.EXE" by Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2024/Malware/kapeka/proc_creation_win_malware_kapeka_backdoor_rundll32_execution.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: Kapeka Backdoor Execution Via RunDLL32.EXE",
entity page, dataset version ref-7cf12b507cff, updated 2024-07-03T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/e98f741c-6a5b-4c83-bc2a-1f4e58d07b12 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule e98f741c-6a5b-4c83-bc2a-1f4e58d07b12, 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.