Sigma rule: Browser Execution In Headless Mode

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-24cc18219744, updated 2023-09-12T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Browser Execution In Headless Mode
Status
test
Level
low
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2023-09-12
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_browsers_chromium_headless_exec.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of Chromium based browser in headless mode

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Image|endswith:
        - '\brave.exe'
        - '\chrome.exe'
        - '\msedge.exe'
        - '\opera.exe'
        - '\vivaldi.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: '--headless'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.command-and-control
  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1105
  • attack.t1564.003

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

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_browsers_chromium_headless_exec.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Browser Execution In Headless Mode" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_browsers_chromium_headless_exec.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: Browser Execution In Headless Mode",
entity page, dataset version ref-24cc18219744, updated 2023-09-12T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/ef9dcfed-690c-4c5d-a9d1-482cd422225c (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule ef9dcfed-690c-4c5d-a9d1-482cd422225c, 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.