Chromium Browser Instance Executed With Custom Extension

Hunt Hypothesis

Detects a Chromium based browser process with the ‘load-extension’ flag to start a instance with a custom extension

Detection Rule

Sigma (Original)

title: Chromium Browser Instance Executed With Custom Extension
id: 88d6e60c-759d-4ac1-a447-c0f1466c2d21
related:
    - id: 27ba3207-dd30-4812-abbf-5d20c57d474e
      type: similar
status: test
description: Detects a Chromium based browser process with the 'load-extension' flag to start a instance with a custom extension
references:
    - https://redcanary.com/blog/chromeloader/
    - https://emkc.org/s/RJjuLa
    - https://www.mandiant.com/resources/blog/lnk-between-browsers
author: Aedan Russell, frack113, X__Junior (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-06-19
modified: 2023-11-28
tags:
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.t1176.001
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        Image|endswith:
            - '\brave.exe'
            - '\chrome.exe'
            - '\msedge.exe'
            - '\opera.exe'
            - '\vivaldi.exe'
        CommandLine|contains: '--load-extension='
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Usage of Chrome Extensions in testing tools such as BurpSuite will trigger this alert
level: medium
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_browsers_chromium_load_extension/info.yml

KQL (Azure Sentinel)

imProcessCreate
| where (TargetProcessName endswith "\\brave.exe" or TargetProcessName endswith "\\chrome.exe" or TargetProcessName endswith "\\msedge.exe" or TargetProcessName endswith "\\opera.exe" or TargetProcessName endswith "\\vivaldi.exe") and TargetProcessCommandLine contains "--load-extension="

Required Data Sources

False Positive Guidance

• Usage of Chrome Extensions in testing tools such as BurpSuite will trigger this alert

MITRE ATT&CK Context

• Tactic: Persistence
• Technique: T1176.001 — T1176.001

References

• https://redcanary.com/blog/chromeloader/
• https://emkc.org/s/RJjuLa
• https://www.mandiant.com/resources/blog/lnk-between-browsers
• SigmaHQ Rule