Session Manager Autorun Keys Modification

// Copyright 2025 Google LLC. Licensed under Apache-2.0.

rule session_manager_autorun_keys_modification {

  meta:
    author = "Victor Sergeev, Daniil Yugoslavskiy, Gleb Sukhodolskiy, Timur Zinniatullin, oscd.community, Tim Shelton, frack113 (split)"
    description = "Detects modification of autostart extensibility point (ASEP) in registry"
    reference = "https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_asep_reg_keys_modification_session_manager.yml"
    license = "https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License/blob/main/LICENSE.Detection.Rules.md"
    rule_name = "Session Manager Autorun Keys Modification"
    rule_id = "mr_4ec3053f-3617-4262-93ae-838dc542610c"
    sigma_uuid = "046218bd-e0d8-4113-a3c3-895a12b2b298"
    sigma_status = "test"
    tactic = "TA0003"
    //tactic = "TA0004"
    technique = "T1547.001"
    //technique = "T1546.009"
    type = "Detection"
    data_source = "Sysmon"
    platform = "Windows"
    severity = "Medium"
    priority = "Medium"
    false_positives = "Legitimate software automatically sets up autorun keys for legitimate reason"

  events:
    $reg.metadata.event_type = "REGISTRY_MODIFICATION"
    strings.contains(strings.to_lower($reg.target.registry.registry_key), "system\\currentcontrolset\\control\\session manager")
    (
      strings.contains(strings.to_lower($reg.target.registry.registry_key), "\\setupexecute") or
      strings.contains(strings.to_lower($reg.target.registry.registry_key), "\\s0initialcommand") or
      strings.contains(strings.to_lower($reg.target.registry.registry_key), "\\knowndlls") or
      strings.contains(strings.to_lower($reg.target.registry.registry_key), "\\execute") or
      strings.contains(strings.to_lower($reg.target.registry.registry_key), "\\bootexecute") or
      strings.contains(strings.to_lower($reg.target.registry.registry_key), "\\appcertdlls")
    )
    NOT $reg.target.registry.registry_value_data = "(Empty)" 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
}