New DNS ServerLevelPluginDll Installed Via Dnscmd.EXE

calendar Oct 23, 2025 · attack.privilege-escalation attack.persistence attack.defense-evasion attack.t1574.001 attack.t1112  ·
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Detects the installation of a DNS plugin DLL via ServerLevelPluginDll parameter in registry, which can be used to execute code in context of the DNS server (restart required)

Sigma rule (View on GitHub)

 1title: New DNS ServerLevelPluginDll Installed Via Dnscmd.EXE
 2id: f63b56ee-3f79-4b8a-97fb-5c48007e8573
 3related:
 4    - id: e61e8a88-59a9-451c-874e-70fcc9740d67
 5      type: derived
 6    - id: cbe51394-cd93-4473-b555-edf0144952d9
 7      type: derived
 8status: test
 9description: Detects the installation of a DNS plugin DLL via ServerLevelPluginDll parameter in registry, which can be used to execute code in context of the DNS server (restart required)
10references:
11    - https://medium.com/@esnesenon/feature-not-bug-dnsadmin-to-dc-compromise-in-one-line-a0f779b8dc83
12    - https://blog.3or.de/hunting-dns-server-level-plugin-dll-injection.html
13author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
14date: 2017-05-08
15modified: 2023-02-05
16tags:
17    - attack.privilege-escalation
18    - attack.persistence
19    - attack.defense-evasion
20    - attack.t1574.001
21    - attack.t1112
22logsource:
23    category: process_creation
24    product: windows
25detection:
26    selection:
27        Image|endswith: '\dnscmd.exe'
28        CommandLine|contains|all:
29            - '/config'
30            - '/serverlevelplugindll'
31    condition: selection
32falsepositives:
33    - Unknown
34level: high

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