New DNS ServerLevelPluginDll Installed Via Dnscmd.EXE

calendar Apr 28, 2026 · attack.privilege-escalation attack.persistence attack.execution attack.stealth attack.defense-impairment attack.t1574.001 attack.t1112  ·
Share on: linkedin copy

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.execution
20    - attack.stealth
21    - attack.defense-impairment
22    - attack.t1574.001
23    - attack.t1112
24logsource:
25    category: process_creation
26    product: windows
27detection:
28    selection:
29        Image|endswith: '\dnscmd.exe'
30        CommandLine|contains|all:
31            - '/config'
32            - '/serverlevelplugindll'
33    condition: selection
34falsepositives:
35    - Unknown
36level: high

References

Related rules

to-top