huntrule

Windows DNS Queries to Malware Hosting and URL Shortener Domains

Alert on Windows DNS queries to domains tied to URL shorteners and malware hosting services.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2
Product
windows
Category
dns_query
Author
Ahmed Nosir (@egycondor) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2025-06-02
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

C2

  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 matches DNS query names containing specific domains associated with malware hosting platforms and URL shorteners. Attackers may use these services to deliver payloads or obscure final destinations through redirection. The detection relies on Windows DNS query telemetry, specifically the queried name field.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1071.004 — drag to rearrange
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Suspicious DNS C2 to Microsoft Typosquat Domain
Suspicious DNS Queries to Simitor Tracking Tunnel Infrastructure
Suspicious DNS Queries to Secshow Open Resolver Scanning Infrastructure
Suspicious OpenMetadata Exploit Interactsh OAST Callback (via process_creation)
Suspicious Outlook Process Spawning Network Utilities for NotDoor C2 (via process_creation)
Malicious DNS Query To fdmpkg C2 Domain via DNS Query
Windows DNS Queries to Malware Hosting and URL Shortener Domains
Pivot detection · T1071.004 · 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.