File Download with Headless Browser
Detects execution of chromium based browser in headless mode using the "dump-dom" command line to download files
Sigma rule (View on GitHub)
1title: File Download with Headless Browser
2id: 0e8cfe08-02c9-4815-a2f8-0d157b7ed33e
3related:
4 - id: ef9dcfed-690c-4c5d-a9d1-482cd422225c
5 type: derived
6status: test
7description: Detects execution of chromium based browser in headless mode using the "dump-dom" command line to download files
8references:
9 - https://twitter.com/mrd0x/status/1478234484881436672?s=12
10 - https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/23/e/managed-xdr-investigation-of-ducktail-in-trend-micro-vision-one.html
11author: Sreeman, Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
12date: 2022-01-04
13modified: 2025-10-07
14tags:
15 - attack.defense-evasion
16 - attack.command-and-control
17 - attack.t1105
18 - attack.t1564.003
19logsource:
20 category: process_creation
21 product: windows
22detection:
23 selection:
24 Image|endswith:
25 - '\brave.exe'
26 - '\chrome.exe'
27 - '\msedge.exe'
28 - '\opera.exe'
29 - '\vivaldi.exe'
30 CommandLine|contains|all:
31 - '--headless'
32 - 'dump-dom'
33 - 'http'
34 filter_optional_edge_1:
35 Image|startswith:
36 - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\'
37 - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeCore\'
38 - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\'
39 - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Edge\Application\'
40 - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\EdgeCore\'
41 - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\'
42 - 'C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge'
43 Image|endswith:
44 - '\msedge.exe'
45 - '\msedgewebview2.exe'
46 - '\MicrosoftEdge.exe'
47 CommandLine|contains: '--headless --disable-gpu --disable-extensions --disable-plugins --mute-audio --no-first-run --incognito --aggressive-cache-discard --dump-dom'
48 filter_optional_edge_2:
49 Image|contains:
50 - '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\'
51 - '\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge'
52 Image|endswith:
53 - '\msedge.exe'
54 - '\MicrosoftEdge.exe'
55 CommandLine|contains: '--headless --disable-gpu --disable-extensions --disable-plugins --mute-audio --no-first-run --incognito --aggressive-cache-discard --dump-dom'
56 condition: selection and not 1 of filter_optional_*
57falsepositives:
58 - Unknown
59level: high
References
Related rules
- Browser Execution In Headless Mode
- Potential Exploitation of RCE Vulnerability CVE-2025-33053
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