Windows: Suspicious Odbcconf.EXE REGSVR usage with non-DLL-suffixed target
Flags odbcconf.exe launched with REGSVR while the target lacks a .dll extension on Windows process creation.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2023-05-22
- Updated
- 2026-07-30
ATT&CK techniques
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 identifies executions of odbcconf.exe using the REGSVR action where the command line does not include a .dll extension for the target DLL. Attackers may use this pattern to register malicious code while attempting to evade simple extension-based defenses. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, specifically the executable path/name and the presence of REGSVR in the command line, plus the absence of a .dll substring.
Reporting behind it
- learn.microsoft.comhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/odbc/odbcconf-exe?view=sql-server-ver16
- lolbas-project.github.iohttps://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Odbcconf/
- trendmicro.comhttps://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/17/h/backdoor-carrying-emails-set-sights-on-russian-speaking-businesses.html
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_odbcconf_register_dll_regsvr_susp.yml
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: "Windows: Suspicious Odbcconf.EXE REGSVR usage with non-DLL-suffixed target"
id: 33332e3a-75c2-47dc-b068-f2539e65ef7b
related:
- id: 9f0a8bf3-a65b-440a-8c1e-5cb1547c8e70
type: derived
- id: ba4cfc11-d0fa-4d94-bf20-7c332c412e76
type: derived
status: test
description: This rule identifies executions of odbcconf.exe using the REGSVR action where the command line does not include a .dll extension for the target DLL. Attackers may use this pattern to register malicious code while attempting to evade simple extension-based defenses. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, specifically the executable path/name and the presence of REGSVR in the command line, plus the absence of a .dll substring.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/odbc/odbcconf-exe?view=sql-server-ver16
- https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Odbcconf/
- https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/17/h/backdoor-carrying-emails-set-sights-on-russian-speaking-businesses.html
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_odbcconf_register_dll_regsvr_susp.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2023-05-22
tags:
- attack.stealth
- attack.t1218.008
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_img:
- Image|endswith: \odbcconf.exe
- OriginalFileName: odbcconf.exe
selection_cli:
CommandLine|contains: "REGSVR "
filter_main_dll_ext:
CommandLine|contains: .dll
condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
- Unlikely
level: high
license: DRL-1.1