huntrule

Windows File Indicator for Pingback Backdoor updata.exe Writing oci.dll

Alerts on updata.exe creating or modifying C:\Windows\oci.dll as a Pingback backdoor file indicator.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v5
Product
windows
Category
file_event
Author
Bhabesh Raj (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2021-05-05
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 flags a Windows file event where an executable named updata.exe endswith is associated with creation or modification of C:\Windows\oci.dll. Such a behavior can indicate deployment of the Pingback backdoor component used for C2 via an ICMP tunnel. It relies on file telemetry that captures the image path and the target filename involved in the file operation.

Reporting behind it

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Suspicious DLL Sideloading via ProtonVPN Executable (via image_load)
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Windows File Indicator for Pingback Backdoor updata.exe Writing oci.dll
Pivot detection · T1574.001 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
  1. v5
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v4
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  3. v3
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  4. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  5. 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.