Suspicious Response File Execution Via Odbcconf.EXE

About the rule

Rule Type

Standard

Rule Description

Odbcconf.exe is a legitimate Windows utility used to configure ODBC drivers and data source names, including the ability to register or unregister DLLs via command-line arguments. Attackers may abuse odbcconf.exe to register malicious DLLs, taking advantage of its legitimate signed binary status (living-off-the-land technique) to establish persistence, execute code, or evade detection. This rule is designed to detect anomalous or suspicious invocations of odbcconf.exe—such as DLL registrations from atypical directories, unknown DLLs, or execution context anomalies

Severity

Trouble

Rule journey

Attack chain scenario

Initial access → Abuse of odbcconf.exe → Malicious DLL registration → Command and Control → Impact

Impact

• Defense evasion
• Unauthorized DLL execution
• Privilege escalation
• Malware deployment

Rule Requirement

Prerequisites

Use the Group Policy Management Console to audit process creation and process termination.

Install Sysmon from Microsoft Sysinternals and download the Sysmon configuration file that includes process creation monitoring. Add network connection events to the configuration file to monitor all network activity.

Create a new registry key "Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational" in the directory "Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventLog\" if not already created.

Criteria

Detection

Execution Mode

realtime

Log Sources

Windows

MITRE ATT&CK

Defense Evasion: System Binary Proxy Execution - Odbcconf (T1218.008)

Security Standards

Enabling this rule will help you meet the security standard's requirement listed below:

DE.CM-01: Networks and network services are monitored to find potentially adverse events.

When this rule is triggered, you’re notified of a potentially suspicious use of odbcconf.exe to register or manipulate DLLs. This enables you to review the process context, analyze the command-line parameters, and promptly identify anomalous activity involving odbcconf.exe, supporting proactive detection of code injection, persistence attempts, and other threats leveraging trusted system binaries.

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Future actions

Known False Positives

This rule may trigger during legitimate system administration tasks, enterprise software installations, or authorized driver updates where odbcconf.exe is used to register official DLLs. Review DLL paths, digital signatures, and process context to determine legitimacy.

Next Steps

When this rule is triggered, the following measures can be implemented:

1. Identification: Identify if the flagged event is a new incident or part of an existing incident.
2. Analysis: Analyze the impact and extent of the incident to comprehend the severity of the attack using the Incident Workbench.
3. Response: Respond promptly by initiating an automated workflow to interrupt the network connections and cease the malicious process.
4. Reconfiguration: Update allowlists for known-good DLLs or processes, enhance detection logic as needed, and continue monitoring for similar suspicious behaviors.

Mitigation