Service Disabled via Registry Modification

[metadata]
creation_date = "2023/08/29"
integration = ["endpoint"]
maturity = "production"
updated_date = "2026/03/24"

[rule]
author = ["Elastic"]
building_block_type = "default"
description = """
Identifies attempts to modify services start settings using processes other than services.exe. Attackers may attempt to
modify security and monitoring services to avoid detection or delay response.
"""
from = "now-119m"
index = ["logs-endpoint.events.registry-*", "endgame-*"]
interval = "60m"
language = "eql"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Service Disabled via Registry Modification"
risk_score = 21
rule_id = "75dcb176-a575-4e33-a020-4a52aaa1b593"
severity = "low"
tags = [
    "Domain: Endpoint",
    "OS: Windows",
    "Use Case: Threat Detection",
    "Tactic: Defense Evasion",
    "Data Source: Elastic Endgame",
    "Data Source: Elastic Defend",
    "Rule Type: BBR",
]
timestamp_override = "event.ingested"
type = "eql"

query = '''
registry where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "change" and
  registry.path : (
    "HKLM\\SYSTEM\\*ControlSet*\\Services\\*\\Start",
    "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SYSTEM\\*ControlSet*\\Services\\*\\Start"
  ) and registry.data.strings : ("3", "4") and
  not 
    (
      process.name : "services.exe" and user.id : "S-1-5-18"
    )
  and not registry.path : "HKLM\\SYSTEM\\ControlSet001\\Services\\MrxSmb10\\Start"
'''


[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1112"
name = "Modify Registry"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1112/"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1562"
name = "Impair Defenses"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/"

[[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1562.001"
name = "Disable or Modify Tools"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/001/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0005"
name = "Defense Evasion"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/"

[[rule.threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"

[[rule.threat.technique]]
id = "T1489"
name = "Service Stop"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1489/"

[rule.threat.tactic]
id = "TA0040"
name = "Impact"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0040/"