Potential goopdate.dll sideloading
This brief provides a detection mechanism for identifying potential DLL sideloading of goopdate.dll, a library associated with Google Update, which is a technique used to gain persistence and execute code.
Triage facts
Revision 1- Evidence
- Unknown
- Severity
- Medium
- Action
- Elevated
- Sources
- 1 public source
- Freshness
- Revision 1Nov 10, 02:46 UTC
- Detection
- 1 rule
- Source quality
- A1Likely
The goopdate.dll library, utilized by GoogleUpdate.exe, is a target for DLL sideloading. Attackers may place a malicious version of this DLL in a directory where an executable expects to load it, leading to unauthorized code execution. Defenders should establish a baseline of legitimate goopdate.dll locations to reduce false positives, as legitimate software often uses this library across different installation paths.
Impact
DLL sideloading allows for execution of arbitrary code within the context of a host process, potentially leading to privilege escalation, persistence, or bypass of security controls.
Recommendation
- Deploy the provided Sigma rule to monitor for image loads of goopdate.dll occurring outside of standard Program Files directories.
- Establish a baseline of known-good application paths that legitimately load goopdate.dll to refine the exclusion filters for this detection.
- Investigate any instances where goopdate.dll is loaded from temporary directories or user-writable locations (e.g., AppData, Temp) that do not align with known software update processes.
Immediate actions
Deploy the provided Sigma rule to SIEM environment
Threat Hunt
Identify all instances of goopdate.dll loading from paths outside of C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86)
Data: Endpoint telemetry (Sysmon EID 7)
Detection coverage 1
Detect Potential goopdate.dll Sideloading
mediumDetects the loading of goopdate.dll from locations other than standard Program Files directories, which may indicate DLL sideloading.
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