Detection rules › Sigma
Disable Windows Event Logging Via Registry
Detects tampering with the "Enabled" registry key in order to disable Windows logging of a Windows event channel
Known false positives
- Rare falsepositives may occur from legitimate administrators disabling specific event log for troubleshooting
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Defense Impairment |
Telemetry coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 13: RegistryEvent (Value Set) |
Rule body
title: Disable Windows Event Logging Via Registry
id: 2f78da12-f7c7-430b-8b19-a28f269b77a3
status: test
description: Detects tampering with the "Enabled" registry key in order to disable Windows logging of a Windows event channel
references:
- https://twitter.com/WhichbufferArda/status/1543900539280293889
- https://github.com/DebugPrivilege/CPP/blob/c39d365617dbfbcb01fffad200d52b6239b2918c/Windows%20Defender/RestoreDefenderConfig.cpp
author: frack113, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-07-04
modified: 2024-03-25
tags:
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1685.001
logsource:
category: registry_set
product: windows
detection:
selection:
TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\'
TargetObject|endswith: '\Enabled'
Details: 'DWORD (0x00000000)'
filter_main_wevutil:
Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\wevtutil.exe' # FP generated during installation of manifests via wevtutil
filter_main_iis:
Image|startswith: 'C:\Windows\winsxs\'
Image|endswith: '\TiWorker.exe' # Many different TargetObjects
filter_main_svchost:
Image: 'C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe'
TargetObject|contains:
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-FileInfoMinifilter'
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ASN1\'
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-AppCompat\'
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-Runtime\Error\'
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-CAPI2/Operational\'
filter_main_trusted_installer:
Image: C:\Windows\servicing\TrustedInstaller.exe
TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-Compat-Appraiser'
filter_optional_empty: # This filter is related to aurora. Should be removed when fix is deployed. # TODO: Remove later
Image: ''
filter_optional_null: # This filter is related to aurora. Should be removed when fix is deployed. # TODO: Remove later
Image: null
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
- Rare falsepositives may occur from legitimate administrators disabling specific event log for troubleshooting
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*Stage 1: selection
selection:
TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\'
TargetObject|endswith: '\Enabled'
Details: 'DWORD (0x00000000)'
Stage 2: not filter_main_*
filter_main_wevutil:
Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\wevtutil.exe'
filter_main_iis:
Image|startswith: 'C:\Windows\winsxs\'
Image|endswith: '\TiWorker.exe'
filter_main_svchost:
Image: 'C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe'
TargetObject|contains:
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-FileInfoMinifilter'
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-ASN1\'
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-AppCompat\'
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-Runtime\Error\'
- '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-CAPI2/Operational\'
filter_main_trusted_installer:
Image: C:\Windows\servicing\TrustedInstaller.exe
TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\Microsoft-Windows-Compat-Appraiser'
Stage 3: not filter_optional_*
filter_optional_empty:
Image: ''
filter_optional_null:
Image: null
Exclusions
The rule actively suppresses these predicates.
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Details | eq |
| field:"Details" kind:eq value:"DWORD (0x00000000)" |
TargetObject | ends_with |
| field:"TargetObject" kind:ends_with value:"\Enabled" |
TargetObject | match |
| field:"TargetObject" kind:match value:"\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WINEVT\Channels\" |