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Windows DLL Sideloading via SmadHook32c.dll and SmadHook64c.dll Loads

Alerts on non-standard loads of SmadHook32c.dll/SmadHook64c.dll on Windows, consistent with potential DLL sideloading.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Category
image_load
Author
X__Junior (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2023-06-01
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Defense Evasion

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies Windows image loads of SmadHook32c.dll or SmadHook64c.dll while excluding loads originating from the SMADAV product executable paths. Such DLL sideloading can be used by attackers to execute malicious code under the context of a legitimate process by placing or triggering a spoofed dependency. Telemetry required includes image-load events (ImageLoaded) on Windows, and process/image path context to filter known legitimate SMADAV binaries.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1574.001 — drag to rearrange
Malicious DLL Sideloading via consent.exe Loading msimg32.dll (via image_load)
Malicious Bumblebee DLL Sideload of msimg32 by consent from Non-System Path (via image_load)
Suspicious BugSplat Binary Sideloading bugsplatrc.dll via DLL Search Order Hijack
Suspicious SentinelOne Binary Sideloading sentinelagentcore.dll
Suspicious 7-Zip Executable Sideloading 7z.dll Loader
Suspicious Loading of Masqueraded EndpointDlp.dll Backdoor
Suspicious Trend Micro Binary Sideloading tmdglog.dll
Suspicious DLL Sideloading via ProtonVPN Executable (via image_load)
Suspicious DLL Sideloading via OneDriveStandaloneUpdater (via image_load)
Windows DLL Sideloading via SmadHook32c.dll and SmadHook64c.dll Loads
Pivot detection · T1574.001 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v1
    No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

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