Suspicious Edgecution Malicious Extension Load via Headless Edge (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1176Software Extensions
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects Microsoft Edge being launched with a load-extension argument together with headless mode and a Recovery user data directory as used by Edgecution to run its malicious browser extension backdoor. Legitimate Edge sessions do not side load unpacked extensions in headless mode.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1176 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious Browser Launch with Unpacked Extension Loaded via load-extension (via process_creation)

Malicious GenAI Browser Extension C2 and PAC Redirection (via proxy)

Suspicious Microsoft Edge Headless Launch with Unpacked Extension via SNOWBELT (via process_creation)

Suspicious Browser Extension Force-Install via Registry (via registry_set)

Suspicious Microsoft Edge Native Messaging Host Registration via UNC6692

Malicious Madgicx Plus Chrome Extension Identifiers on Disk

Suspicious Browser Extension Sideload From a User Path (via process_creation)

Suspicious Chrome Remote Debugging Port for Browser Session Theft

Suspicious Microsoft Edge Unpacked Extension Load via UNC6692 Edgecution

Suspicious Edgecution Malicious Extension Load via Headless Edge (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1176 · 9 related

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

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