Detection rules › YARA-L
Modify User Shell Folders Startup Value
Detect modification of the startup key to a path where a payload could be stored to be launched during startup
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Persistence | T1547.001 Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder |
References
Event coverage
| Provider | Event | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 13 | RegistryEvent (Value Set) |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4657 | A registry value was modified. |
Rule body yaral
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* Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
* you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
* You may obtain a copy of the License at
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rule modify_user_shell_folders_startup_value {
meta:
author = "frack113"
description = "Detect modification of the startup key to a path where a payload could be stored to be launched during startup"
reference = "https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_susp_user_shell_folders.yml"
license = "https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License/blob/main/LICENSE.Detection.Rules.md"
rule_name = "Modify User Shell Folders Startup Value"
rule_id = "mr_bf813e89-427f-46e4-a671-bb3eea037725"
sigma_uuid = "9c226817-8dc9-46c2-a58d-66655aafd7dc"
sigma_status = "test"
tactic = "TA0003"
//tactic = "TA0004"
technique = "T1547.001"
type = "Detection"
data_source = "Sysmon Windows Registry"
platform = "Windows"
severity = "High"
priority = "High"
false_positives = "Unknown"
events:
$reg.metadata.event_type = "REGISTRY_MODIFICATION"
strings.contains(strings.to_lower($reg.target.registry.registry_key), "software\\microsoft\\windows\\currentversion\\explorer\\user shell folders")
re.regex($reg.target.registry.registry_key, `Startup$`) nocase
$reg.principal.hostname = $hostname
match:
$hostname over 5m
outcome:
//example usage of specifying test user and hostname to adjust risk score
$risk_score = max(if($reg.principal.user.userid = "user" and $reg.principal.hostname = "hostname", 0, 15))
$principal_hostname = array_distinct($reg.principal.hostname)
$principal_process_pid = array_distinct($reg.principal.process.pid)
$principal_process_file_full_path = array_distinct($reg.principal.process.file.full_path)
$principal_process_product_specific_process_id = array_distinct($reg.principal.process.product_specific_process_id)
$principal_user_userid = array_distinct($reg.principal.user.userid)
$target_registry_key = array_distinct($reg.target.registry.registry_key)
$target_registry_value_data = array_distinct($reg.target.registry.registry_value_data)
$log_type = array_distinct(strings.concat($reg.metadata.log_type,"/",$reg.metadata.product_event_type))
condition:
$reg
}
Detection logic
Fires when at least one $reg event in the 5m window.
Events
$reg
target.registry.registry_key contains "software\\microsoft\\windows\\currentversion\\explorer\\user shell folders"target.registry.registry_key matches "Startup$"
Correlation
Outcome
Fields the detection emits on a match. $risk_score drives alerting; Chronicle surfaces the rest on the detection.
| Field | Expression |
|---|---|
risk_score | max(if($reg.principal.user.userid = "user" and $reg.principal.hostname = "hostname", 0, 15)) |
principal_hostname | array_distinct($reg.principal.hostname) |
principal_process_pid | array_distinct($reg.principal.process.pid) |
principal_process_file_full_path | array_distinct($reg.principal.process.file.full_path) |
principal_process_product_specific_process_id | array_distinct($reg.principal.process.product_specific_process_id) |
principal_user_userid | array_distinct($reg.principal.user.userid) |
target_registry_key | array_distinct($reg.target.registry.registry_key) |
target_registry_value_data | array_distinct($reg.target.registry.registry_value_data) |
log_type | array_distinct(strings.concat($reg.metadata.log_type,"/",$reg.metadata.product_event_type)) |