Potential DLL Sideloading Of DBGHELP.DLL

 1title: Potential DLL Sideloading Of DBGHELP.DLL
 2id: 6414b5cd-b19d-447e-bb5e-9f03940b5784
 3status: test
 4description: Detects potential DLL sideloading of "dbghelp.dll"
 5references:
 6    - https://hijacklibs.net/ # For list of DLLs that could be sideloaded (search for dlls mentioned here in there)
 7author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Wietze Beukema (project and research)
 8date: 2022-10-25
 9modified: 2025-10-07
10tags:
11    - attack.persistence
12    - attack.privilege-escalation
13    - attack.execution
14    - attack.stealth
15    - attack.t1574.001
16logsource:
17    category: image_load
18    product: windows
19detection:
20    selection:
21        ImageLoaded|endswith: '\dbghelp.dll'
22    filter_main_generic:
23        ImageLoaded|startswith:
24            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\'
25            - 'C:\Program Files\'
26            - 'C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\'
27            - 'C:\Windows\System32\'
28            - 'C:\Windows\SystemTemp\'
29            - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\'
30            - 'C:\Windows\WinSxS\'
31    filter_optional_anaconda:
32        ImageLoaded|endswith:
33            - '\Anaconda3\Lib\site-packages\vtrace\platforms\windll\amd64\dbghelp.dll'
34            - '\Anaconda3\Lib\site-packages\vtrace\platforms\windll\i386\dbghelp.dll'
35    filter_optional_epicgames:
36        ImageLoaded|endswith:
37            - '\Epic Games\Launcher\Engine\Binaries\ThirdParty\DbgHelp\dbghelp.dll'
38            - '\Epic Games\MagicLegends\x86\dbghelp.dll'
39    filter_optional_opera:
40        ImageLoaded|contains: 'opera\Opera Installer Temp\opera_package'
41        ImageLoaded|endswith: '\assistant\dbghelp.dll'
42    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
43falsepositives:
44    - Legitimate applications loading their own versions of the DLL mentioned in this rule
45level: medium