huntrule

Windows DLL Sideloading Using Antivirus/Vendor DLLs Based on Loaded Image Names

Alerts on suspicious DLL loads matching known antivirus/security component DLL names when not from expected vendor paths.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2
Product
windows
Category
image_load
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Wietze Beukema (project and research) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2022-08-17
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 potential DLL sideloading on Windows by matching image-loaded DLLs associated with specific security and vendor products (e.g., Bitdefender, F-Secure, McAfee, CyberArk, Avast, ESET, Trend Micro). DLL sideloading is a common technique to execute attacker-controlled code when a process loads a DLL by name, path, or search order. It relies on image-load telemetry (ImageLoaded) and filters out known benign locations for the matched DLLs using hardcoded program path prefixes and specific executable context where applicable.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1574.001 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious msimg32.dll Loaded from Non-System Directory
DLL Side-Loading via Signed Binary Loading Known Malicious Helper DLL
Suspicious DLL Sideloading via msdtc oci.dll Install (via process_creation)
Suspicious wmicodegen.dll Sideload by inetinfo.exe (UAT-8099 Cobalt Strike)
Suspicious LucidRook DismCore.dll Side-Load into Browser Process
Suspicious Encrypted Implant File Creation for DLL Search Order Hijacking (RainyDay Turian PlugX)
Suspicious RoboForm Signed Binary Executed From Non-Standard Path (via process_creation)
Malicious dal_keepalives.dll Sideloaded By Signed Binary (via image_load)
Suspicious Cortex XDR Binary Sideloading winutils.dll (via image_load)
Windows DLL Sideloading Using Antivirus/Vendor DLLs Based on Loaded Image Names
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.