Detection rules › Sigma

Windows AMSI Related Registry Tampering Via CommandLine

Status
experimental
Severity
high
Log source
product windows, category process_creation
Author
Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
Source
github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects tampering of AMSI (Anti-Malware Scan Interface) related registry values via command line tools such as reg.exe or PowerShell. AMSI provides a generic interface for applications and services to integrate with antimalware products. Adversaries may disable AMSI to evade detection of malicious scripts and code execution.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
Defense ImpairmentT1685 Disable or Modify Tools

Event coverage

ProviderEventTitle
SysmonEvent ID 1Process creation

Rule body yaml

title: Windows AMSI Related Registry Tampering Via CommandLine
id: 7dbbcac2-57a0-45ac-b306-ff30a8bd2981
related:
    - id: aa37cbb0-da36-42cb-a90f-fdf216fc7467 # AMSI Disabled via Registry Modification
      type: similar
status: experimental
description: |
    Detects tampering of AMSI (Anti-Malware Scan Interface) related registry values via command line tools such as reg.exe or PowerShell.
    AMSI provides a generic interface for applications and services to integrate with antimalware products.
    Adversaries may disable AMSI to evade detection of malicious scripts and code execution.
references:
    - https://github.com/arttoolkit/arttoolkit.github.io/blob/16d6230d009e58fd6f773f5317fd4d14c1f26004/_wadcoms/AMSI-Bypass-Jscript_amsienable.md
    - https://mostafayahiax.medium.com/hunting-for-amsi-bypassing-methods-9886dda0bf9d
    - https://www.mdsec.co.uk/2019/02/macros-and-more-with-sharpshooter-v2-0/
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2025-12-25
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1685
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_key:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - '\Software\Microsoft\Windows Script\Settings'
            - 'AmsiEnable'
    selection_reg_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\reg.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'reg.exe'
    selection_reg_cmd:
        CommandLine|contains: 'add'
    selection_powershell_img:
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\powershell.exe'
              - '\pwsh.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'PowerShell.EXE'
              - 'pwsh.dll'
    selection_powershell_cmd:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'Set-ItemProperty'
            - 'New-ItemProperty'
            - 'sp '
    condition: selection_key and (all of selection_powershell_* or all of selection_reg_*)
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_amsi_registry_tampering/info.yml
simulation:
    - type: atomic-red-team
      name: AMSI Bypass - Create AMSIEnable Reg Key
      technique: T1562.001
      atomic_guid: 728eca7b-0444-4f6f-ac36-437e3d751dc0

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

selection_key and (all of selection_powershell_* or all of selection_reg_*)

Stage 1: selection_key

selection_key:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - '\Software\Microsoft\Windows Script\Settings'
        - 'AmsiEnable'

Stage 2: selection_powershell_img

selection_powershell_img:
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\powershell.exe'
          - '\pwsh.exe'
    - OriginalFileName:
          - 'PowerShell.EXE'
          - 'pwsh.dll'

Stage 3: selection_powershell_cmd

selection_powershell_cmd:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'Set-ItemProperty'
        - 'New-ItemProperty'
        - 'sp '

Stage 4: selection_reg_img

selection_reg_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\reg.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'reg.exe'

Stage 5: selection_reg_cmd

selection_reg_cmd:
    CommandLine|contains: 'add'

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

FieldKindValues
CommandLinematch
  • AmsiEnable
  • New-ItemProperty corpus 7 (sigma 7)
  • Set-ItemProperty corpus 7 (sigma 7)
  • \Software\Microsoft\Windows Script\Settings
  • add corpus 34 (sigma 26, splunk 4, chronicle 2, kusto 2)
  • sp corpus 2 (sigma 2)
Imageends_with
  • \powershell.exe corpus 182 (sigma 182)
  • \pwsh.exe corpus 168 (sigma 168)
  • \reg.exe corpus 58 (sigma 58)
OriginalFileNameeq
  • PowerShell.EXE corpus 120 (sigma 84, splunk 30, elastic 6)
  • pwsh.dll corpus 112 (sigma 79, splunk 30, elastic 3)
  • reg.exe corpus 42 (sigma 32, splunk 8, elastic 2)