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Startup or Run Key Registry Modification

Elastic Stack Serverless Security

Identifies run key or startup key registry modifications. In order to survive reboots and other system interrupts, attackers will modify run keys within the registry or leverage startup folder items as a form of persistence.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/common-options.html#date-math[Date Math format], see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References: None

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Persistence

Version: 8

Rule authors:

  • Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

registry where registry.data.strings != null and
 registry.path : (
     /* Machine Hive */
     "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\*",
     "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\RunOnce\\*",
     "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\RunOnceEx\\*",
     "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run\\*",
     "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon\\Shell\\*",
     /* Users Hive */
     "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\*",
     "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\RunOnce\\*",
     "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\RunOnceEx\\*",
     "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run\\*",
     "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon\\Shell\\*"
     ) and
  /* add common legitimate changes without being too restrictive as this is one of the most abused AESPs */
  not registry.data.strings : "ctfmon.exe /n" and
  not (registry.value : "Application Restart #*" and process.name : "csrss.exe") and
  user.id not in ("S-1-5-18", "S-1-5-19", "S-1-5-20") and
  not registry.data.strings : ("?:\\Program Files\\*.exe", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe") and
  not process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\System32\\msiexec.exe", "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\msiexec.exe") and
  not (process.name : "OneDriveSetup.exe" and
       registry.value : ("Delete Cached Standalone Update Binary", "Delete Cached Update Binary", "amd64", "Uninstall *") and
       registry.data.strings : "?:\\Windows\\system32\\cmd.exe /q /c * \"?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\OneDrive\\*\"")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM