dllhost.exe

File Path: C:\Windows\system32\dllhost.exe
Description: COM Surrogate

Hashes

Type	Hash
MD5	`08EB78E5BE019DF044C26B14703BD1FA`
SHA1	`2CE12A317BEBF8293F3544433A55D972A5967996`
SHA256	`E7FC40B41AA8B83841A0B96D169EAF0800AA784733E636935374D56536253F10`
SHA384	`FE56817F7F5B8534AA8E57A7FFC546DF18B9B74A0765CA590D3015AAC4B8A4FE79BC1B7DD6B837747F9FB51230C3CDB8`
SHA512	`A2BC4EB15048C182AF80192C19147D8871396B1463A8CB9257C80B142698B71A8093C65206847D9E07FCC2FBED0829390908597F617E26AC6523577927836562`
SSDEEP	`384:lJRXcksOiPxc+rWw5Ww78hDBRJXP+CcWlGsaX:lJR7cxcEKh1PfwL`
IMP	`CF79FCE90FCED31836373F3E48251A5D`
PESHA1	`24BBAE507219C32594364D9ED39EA16AFB892032`
PE256	`07F72EC5C39A54A33C0E9238E42E517168682029210AA9CDAC647116B9D1B954`

Runtime Data

Loaded Modules:

Path
C:\Windows\System32\combase.dll
C:\Windows\system32\dllhost.exe
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\kernel.appcore.dll
C:\Windows\System32\KERNEL32.DLL
C:\Windows\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
C:\Windows\System32\msvcrt.dll
C:\Windows\SYSTEM32\ntdll.dll
C:\Windows\System32\RPCRT4.dll
C:\Windows\System32\ucrtbase.dll

Signature

Status: Signature verified.
Serial: 3300000266BD1580EFA75CD6D3000000000266
Thumbprint: A4341B9FD50FB9964283220A36A1EF6F6FAA7840
Issuer: CN=Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US
Subject: CN=Microsoft Windows, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US

File Metadata

Original Filename: dllhost.exe
Product Name: Microsoft Windows Operating System
Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
File Version: 10.0.19041.546 (WinBuild.160101.0800)
Product Version: 10.0.19041.546
Language: English (United States)
Legal Copyright: Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Machine Type: 64-bit

File Scan

VirusTotal Detections: 0/75
VirusTotal Link: https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/e7fc40b41aa8b83841a0b96d169eaf0800aa784733e636935374d56536253f10/detection

File Similarity (ssdeep match)

File	Score
C:\Windows\system32\dllhost.exe	44
C:\Windows\system32\dllhst3g.exe	41

Possible Misuse

The following table contains possible examples of dllhost.exe being misused. While dllhost.exe is not inherently malicious, its legitimate functionality can be abused for malicious purposes.

Source	Source File	Example	License
sigma	file_event_win_creation_system_file.yml	`- '\dllhost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	file_event_win_susp_adsi_cache_usage.yml	`- 'C:\windows\system32\dllhost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	file_event_win_uac_bypass_wmp.yml	`Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\DllHost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	image_load_suspicious_vss_ps_load.yml	`- '\dllhost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	net_connection_win_dllhost_net_connections.yml	`title: Dllhost Internet Connection`	DRL 1.0
sigma	net_connection_win_dllhost_net_connections.yml	`description: Detects Dllhost that communicates with public IP addresses`	DRL 1.0
sigma	net_connection_win_dllhost_net_connections.yml	`Image\\|endswith: '\dllhost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	proc_creation_win_apt_unc2452_cmds.yml	`Image\\|endswith: '\dllhost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	proc_creation_win_cmstp_com_object_access.yml	`ParentImage\\|endswith: '\DllHost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	proc_creation_win_cobaltstrike_process_patterns.yml	`ParentImage\\|endswith: '\dllhost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	proc_creation_win_mal_darkside_ransomware.yml	`ParentCommandLine\\|contains: 'DllHost.exe /Processid:{3E5FC7F9-9A51-4367-9063-A120244FBEC7}'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	proc_creation_win_script_event_consumer_spawn.yml	`- '\dllhost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
sigma	proc_creation_win_system_exe_anomaly.yml	`- '\dllhost.exe'`	DRL 1.0
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`Name: Dllhost.exe`
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`- Command: dllhost.exe /Processid:{CLSID}`
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`Description: Use dllhost.exe to load a registered or hijacked COM Server payload.`
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`- Path: C:\Windows\System32\dllhost.exe`
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`- Path: C:\Windows\SysWOW64\dllhost.exe`
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`- IOC: DotNet CLR libraries loaded into dllhost.exe`
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`- IOC: DotNet CLR Usage Log - dllhost.exe.log`
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`- IOC: Suspicious network connectings originating from dllhost.exe`
LOLBAS	Dllhost.yml	`- Link: https://nasbench.medium.com/what-is-the-dllhost-exe-process-actually-running-ef9fe4c19c08`
signature-base	crime_nopetya_jun17.yar	$s7 = “dllhost.dat” fullword wide	CC BY-NC 4.0