Windows: Headless Chromium Browser Execution via --headless

Alerts on headless Chromium-based browser launches on Windows using the "--headless" command-line flag.

FreeReviewedSigma · Low · v2

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2023-09-12
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion → C2

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1564.003Hidden Window
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
- T1105Ingress Tool Transfer
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies process creation where a Chromium-based browser executable (Brave, Chrome, Edge, Opera, or Vivaldi) is launched with the --headless argument. Headless browsing is commonly used to automate web access and can also support stealthy execution without a visible user interface. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching on the executable name and the presence of --headless in the command line.

Reporting behind it

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Windows: Headless Chromium Browser Execution via --headless

Pivot detection · T1105 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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.

windows-process-execution-of-chromium-browsers-in-headless-mode-ef9dcfed

title: "Windows: Headless Chromium Browser Execution via --headless"
id: 6885b148-b2b9-4230-86dd-c2130b36afa9
related:
  - id: 0e8cfe08-02c9-4815-a2f8-0d157b7ed33e
    type: derived
  - id: ef9dcfed-690c-4c5d-a9d1-482cd422225c
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule identifies process creation where a Chromium-based browser executable (Brave, Chrome, Edge, Opera, or Vivaldi) is launched with the --headless argument. Headless browsing is commonly used to automate web access and can also support stealthy execution without a visible user interface. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching on the executable name and the presence of --headless in the command line.
references:
  - https://twitter.com/mrd0x/status/1478234484881436672?s=12
  - https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/23/e/managed-xdr-investigation-of-ducktail-in-trend-micro-vision-one.html
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_browsers_chromium_headless_exec.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2023-09-12
tags:
  - attack.command-and-control
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1105
  - attack.t1564.003
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    Image|endswith:
      - \brave.exe
      - \chrome.exe
      - \msedge.exe
      - \opera.exe
      - \vivaldi.exe
    CommandLine|contains: --headless
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: low
license: DRL-1.1

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