huntrule

Windows process access targeting verclsid.exe with Office/VBA shellcode traces

Flags broad access to verclsid.exe from Microsoft Office/VBA contexts with VBE7.DLL call traces consistent with shellcode injection.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v5
Product
windows
Category
process_access
Author
John Lambert (tech), Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2017-03-04
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → 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 highly privileged process access to verclsid.exe when the call stack contains both an Office/VBA module reference (VBE7.DLL) and Microsoft Office as the source image. Attackers may use this pattern to inject shellcode into a signed or trusted target process, helping evade defenses while executing malicious code. It relies on Windows process access telemetry (granted access and target image) along with call trace fields and source image paths to correlate the injecting context.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1055 — drag to rearrange
Malicious AddInProcess32 Network Beacon on PureRAT C2 Ports
Suspicious Payload Staging in ProgramData IntelDriver Folder (via file_event)
Possible DarkGate Process Injection via iTunesHelper Spawning vbc.exe
Suspicious PowerShell Shellcode Loader via Function Pointer Delegate
Suspicious Named Pipe Created by Kazuar Backdoor for Interprocess Command Channel
Suspicious SmallTiger Backdoor DLL Load via Image Load
Suspicious svchost Execution With Anomalous Arguments via DeedRAT (via process_creation)
Suspicious Sang Loader Execution with Install or PassUAC Arguments
Suspicious GodRAT Shellcode Injection via Puppet Argument (via process_creation)
Windows process access targeting verclsid.exe with Office/VBA shellcode traces
Pivot detection · T1055 · 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.