Sigma rule: DLL Sideloading by VMware Xfer Utility

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-0237792e3dbc, updated 2022-08-02T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
DLL Sideloading by VMware Xfer Utility
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-08-02
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_dll_sideload_vmware_xfer.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of VMware Xfer utility (VMwareXferlogs.exe) from the non-default directory which may be an attempt to sideload arbitrary DLL

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Image|endswith: '\VMwareXferlogs.exe'
filter: # VMware might be installed in another path so update the rule accordingly
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\VMware\'
condition: selection and not filter

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.privilege-escalation
  • attack.persistence
  • 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/process_creation/proc_creation_win_dll_sideload_vmware_xfer.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "DLL Sideloading by VMware Xfer Utility" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_dll_sideload_vmware_xfer.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: DLL Sideloading by VMware Xfer Utility",
entity page, dataset version ref-0237792e3dbc, updated 2022-08-02T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/ebea773c-a8f1-42ad-a856-00cb221966e8 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule ebea773c-a8f1-42ad-a856-00cb221966e8, 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.