Andromeda Loader Execution via Rundll32 Desktop.ini Ordinal

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1218.011Rundll32
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects rundll32.exe invoking a DLL export _ldr together with a desktop.ini argument, the loader launch pattern of the Andromeda Gamarue cluster. Using rundll32 to call an obscure loader ordinal while referencing desktop.ini is a distinctive execution and evasion behavior.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1218.011 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious rundll32 Executing DLL from ProgramData (via process_creation)

Suspicious Rundll32 Loading DLL From Public or ProgramData Path via Process Creation (via process_creation)

Malicious LSASS Credential Dump via Rundll32 Comsvcs MiniDump via Process Creation (via process_creation)

Suspicious Rundll32 Execution Without a DLL Reference via Process Creation (via process_creation)

Suspicious WebDAV Retrieval via rundll32 and davclnt.dll (via process_creation)

Suspicious Rundll32 Execution with Latrodectus Loader Exports (via process_creation)

Suspicious Rundll32 Execution with IcedID Loader Export (via process_creation)

Malicious Scheduled Task Running rundll32 w32analytics (via process_creation)

Suspicious StrelaStealer DLL Execution via Rundll32 Hello Export from Temp (via process_creation)

Andromeda Loader Execution via Rundll32 Desktop.ini Ordinal

Pivot detection · T1218.011 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →