Suspicious Extexport DLL Side-Loading Execution

PremiumReviewedSigma · Medium · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-08-04
Updated
2026-08-28

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Cred Access

  8. Discovery

  9. Lateral Movement

  10. Collection

  11. C2

  12. Exfiltration

  13. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects execution of the Internet Explorer Extexport.exe utility which loads mozcrt19, mozsqlite3 or sqlite3 DLLs from its working directory. In the WithSecure Code Execution and Persistence Lab 1 the Astaroth chain drops malicious DLLs of these names next to Extexport.exe to achieve DLL side-loading. Attackers proxy code execution through this signed LOLBin to run their payload under a trusted process.

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Suspicious Extexport DLL Side-Loading Execution
Pivot detection · T1574.001 · 9 related

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