Windows: Potential DLL sideloading via VMwareXferlogs loading glib-2.0.dll from non-standard path
Alerts on VMwareXferlogs.exe loading glib-2.0.dll from outside the default VMware directory.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- image_load
- Author
- Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2022-08-02
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Execution → Defense EvasionRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags instances where VMwareXferlogs.exe loads glib-2.0.dll when the loaded DLL is not located under the default VMware installation directory. Attackers may use DLL sideloading to execute malicious code by leveraging a legitimate VMware component. The detection relies on Windows image load telemetry that records the loading process path (Image) and the full/relative path of the loaded DLL (ImageLoaded).
Reporting behind it
Changelog
v2- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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.
title: "Windows: Potential DLL sideloading via VMwareXferlogs loading glib-2.0.dll from non-standard path"
id: 6a772100-64a2-4f2f-82d3-683c29580bfc
status: test
description: This rule flags instances where VMwareXferlogs.exe loads glib-2.0.dll when the loaded DLL is not located under the default VMware installation directory. Attackers may use DLL sideloading to execute malicious code by leveraging a legitimate VMware component. The detection relies on Windows image load telemetry that records the loading process path (Image) and the full/relative path of the loaded DLL (ImageLoaded).
references:
- https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/lockbit-ransomware-side-loads-cobalt-strike-beacon-with-legitimate-vmware-utility/
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/image_load/image_load_side_load_vmware_xfer.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-08-02
modified: 2023-02-17
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.persistence
- attack.execution
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1574.001
logsource:
product: windows
category: image_load
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith: \VMwareXferlogs.exe
ImageLoaded|endswith: \glib-2.0.dll
filter:
ImageLoaded|startswith: C:\Program Files\VMware\
condition: selection and not filter
falsepositives:
- Unlikely
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 9313dc13-d04c-46d8-af4a-a930cc55d93b
type: derived