Sigma rule: Potential DLL Sideloading Activity Via ExtExport.EXE

Rule

Title

Potential DLL Sideloading Activity Via ExtExport.EXE

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

frack113, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2021-11-26

Modified

2024-08-26

File

rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_extexport_execution.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the execution of "Extexport.exe".A utility that is part of the Internet Explorer browser and is used to export and import various settings and data, particularly when switching between Internet Explorer and other web browsers like Firefox. It allows users to transfer bookmarks, browsing history, and other preferences from Internet Explorer to Firefox or vice versa.
It can be abused as a tool to side load any DLL. If a folder is provided in the command line it'll load any DLL with one of the following names "mozcrt19.dll", "mozsqlite3.dll", or "sqlite.dll".
Arbitrary DLLs can also be loaded if a specific number of flags was provided.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    - Image|endswith: '\Extexport.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'extexport.exe'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1218
• detection.threat-hunting

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1218

References

• https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Extexport/
• https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2018/04/24/extexport-yet-another-lolbin/
• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2020/03/23/latest-astaroth-living-off-the-land-attacks-are-even-more-invisible-but-not-less-observable/
• https://res.armor.com/resources/threat-intelligence/astaroth-banking-trojan/
• https://securelist.com/the-tetrade-brazilian-banking-malware/97779/
• https://www.welivesecurity.com/2020/03/05/guildma-devil-drives-electric/

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_extexport_execution.yml