Detection rules › YARA-L

CreateDump Process Dump

Severity
high
Type
Detection
Time window
5m
Match by
hostname
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Source
github.com/chronicle/detection-rules

Detects uses of the createdump.exe LOLOBIN utility to dump process memory

Known false positives

  • Command lines that use the same flags

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
Credential Access

References

Telemetry coverage

Rule body

// Copyright 2025 Google LLC. Licensed under Apache-2.0.

rule create_dump_process_dump {

  meta:
    author = "Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)"
    description = "Detects uses of the createdump.exe LOLOBIN utility to dump process memory"
    reference = "https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_createdump_lolbin_execution.yml"
    license = "https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License/blob/main/LICENSE.Detection.Rules.md"
    rule_name = "CreateDump Process Dump"
    sigma_uuid = "515c8be5-e5df-4c5e-8f6d-a4a2f05e4b48"
    sigma_status = "test"
    rule_id = "mr_20772389-ecc9-4598-9241-843172e1dd43"
    tactic = "TA0006"
    technique = "T1003.001"
    type = "Detection"
    data_source = "Sysmon"
    platform = "Windows"
    severity = "High"
    priority = "High"
    false_positives = "Command lines that use the same flags"

  events:
    $process.metadata.event_type = "PROCESS_LAUNCH"
    (
    re.regex($process.target.process.file.full_path, `\\createdump\.exe$`) nocase or
    $process.src.process.file.full_path = "createdump.exe" nocase
    )
    (
        strings.contains(strings.to_lower($process.target.process.command_line), " -u ") or
        strings.contains(strings.to_lower($process.target.process.command_line), " --full ") or
        strings.contains(strings.to_lower($process.target.process.command_line), " -f ") or
        strings.contains(strings.to_lower($process.target.process.command_line), " --name ") or
        strings.contains(strings.to_lower($process.target.process.command_line), ".dmp ")
    )
    $process.principal.hostname = $hostname

  match:
    $hostname over 5m

  outcome:
    //example usage of specifying test user and hostname to adjust risk score
    $risk_score = max(if($process.principal.user.userid = "user" and $process.principal.hostname = "hostname", 0, 15))
    $principal_process_pid = array_distinct($process.principal.process.pid)
    $principal_process_command_line = array_distinct($process.principal.process.command_line)
    $principal_process_file_sha256 = array_distinct($process.principal.process.file.sha256)
    $principal_process_file_full_path = array_distinct($process.principal.process.file.full_path)
    $principal_process_product_specfic_process_id = array_distinct($process.principal.process.product_specific_process_id)
    $principal_process_parent_process_product_specfic_process_id = array_distinct($process.principal.process.parent_process.product_specific_process_id)
    $target_process_pid = array_distinct($process.target.process.pid)
    $target_process_command_line = array_distinct($process.target.process.command_line)
    $target_process_file_sha256 = array_distinct($process.target.process.file.sha256)
    $target_process_file_full_path = array_distinct($process.target.process.file.full_path)
    $target_process_product_specfic_process_id = array_distinct($process.target.process.product_specific_process_id)
    $principal_user_userid = array_distinct($process.principal.user.userid)
    $log_type = array_distinct(strings.concat($process.metadata.log_type,"/",$process.metadata.product_event_type))

  condition:
    $process
}

YARA-L rule structure

Condition

Fires when at least one $process event in the 5m window.

Events

$process PROCESS_LAUNCH (1, 4688)

  • target.process.file.full_path matches "\\createdump\.exe$"
  • src.process.file.full_path = "createdump.exe"
  • target.process.command_line contains " -u "
  • target.process.command_line contains " --full "
  • target.process.command_line contains " -f "
  • target.process.command_line contains " --name "
  • target.process.command_line contains ".dmp "

Match and correlation

Match key
$hostname (principal.hostname)
Within
5m

Outcome

Outcome variables add context to a detection. When the rule generates an alert, $risk_score is displayed with it.

FieldExpression
risk_scoremax(if($process.principal.user.userid = "user" and $process.principal.hostname = "hostname", 0, 15))
principal_process_pidarray_distinct($process.principal.process.pid)
principal_process_command_linearray_distinct($process.principal.process.command_line)
principal_process_file_sha256array_distinct($process.principal.process.file.sha256)
principal_process_file_full_patharray_distinct($process.principal.process.file.full_path)
principal_process_product_specfic_process_idarray_distinct($process.principal.process.product_specific_process_id)
principal_process_parent_process_product_specfic_process_idarray_distinct($process.principal.process.parent_process.product_specific_process_id)
target_process_pidarray_distinct($process.target.process.pid)
target_process_command_linearray_distinct($process.target.process.command_line)
target_process_file_sha256array_distinct($process.target.process.file.sha256)
target_process_file_full_patharray_distinct($process.target.process.file.full_path)
target_process_product_specfic_process_idarray_distinct($process.target.process.product_specific_process_id)
principal_user_useridarray_distinct($process.principal.user.userid)
log_typearray_distinct(strings.concat($process.metadata.log_type,"/",$process.metadata.product_event_type))