netsupport rmm installations outside of the standard program files directory will trigger this detection. apply appropriate filters to exclude known legitimate installations.

Techniques

T1036

Sample rules

Windows NetSupport RMM DLL Loaded By Uncommon Process

source: splunk
technicques:
- T1036

Description

The following analytic detects the loading of specific dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) associated with the NetSupport Remote Manager (RMM) tool by any process on a Windows system. Modules such as CryptPak.dll, HTCTL32.DLL, IPCTL32.DLL, keyshowhook.dll, pcicapi.DLL, PCICL32.DLL, and TCCTL32.DLL, are integral to NetSupport’s functionality. This detection is particularly valuable when these modules are loaded by processes running from unusual directories (e.g., Downloads, ProgramData, or user-specific folders) rather than the legitimate Program Files installation path, or by executables that have been renamed but retain the internal “client32” identifier. This helps to identify instances where the legitimate NetSupport tool is being misused by adversaries as a Remote Access Trojan (RAT).

Detection logic

`sysmon`
EventCode=7
ImageLoaded IN (
  "*\\CryptPak.dll",
  "*\\HTCTL32.DLL",
  "*\\pcicapi.dll",
  "*\\pcichek.dll",
  "*\\PCICL32.DLL",
  "*\\TCCTL32.DLL"
)
NOT Image IN ("C:\\Program Files\\*", "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\*")
Signature = "NetSupport Ltd*"

| fillnull

| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
  by Image ImageLoaded dest loaded_file loaded_file_path original_file_name process_exec
     process_guid process_hash process_id process_name process_path service_dll_signature_exists
     service_dll_signature_verified signature signature_id user_id vendor_product

| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`

| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`

| `windows_netsupport_rmm_dll_loaded_by_uncommon_process_filter`