New RUN Key Pointing to Suspicious Folder

title: New RUN Key Pointing to Suspicious Folder
id: 02ee49e2-e294-4d0f-9278-f5b3212fc588
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious new RUN key element pointing to an executable in a suspicious folder
references:
    - https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2018/08/fin7-pursuing-an-enigmatic-and-evasive-global-criminal-operation.html
    - https://github.com/HackTricks-wiki/hacktricks/blob/e4c7b21b8f36c97c35b7c622732b38a189ce18f7/src/windows-hardening/windows-local-privilege-escalation/privilege-escalation-with-autorun-binaries.md
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Markus Neis, Sander Wiebing, Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2018-08-25
modified: 2025-10-06
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.t1547.001
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_target:
        TargetObject|contains:
            - '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
            - '\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
            - '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run'
    selection_suspicious_paths_1:
        Details|contains:
            - ':\Perflogs'
            - :\ProgramData'
            - ':\Windows\Temp'
            - ':\Temp'
            - '\AppData\Local\Temp'
            - '\AppData\Roaming'
            - ':\$Recycle.bin'
            - ':\Users\Default'
            - ':\Users\public'
            - '%temp%'
            - '%tmp%'
            - '%Public%'
            - '%AppData%'
    selection_suspicious_paths_user_1:
        Details|contains: ':\Users\'
    selection_suspicious_paths_user_2:
        Details|contains:
            - '\Favorites'
            - '\Favourites'
            - '\Contacts'
            - '\Music'
            - '\Pictures'
            - '\Documents'
            - '\Photos'
    filter_main_windows_update:
        TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\'
        Image|startswith: 'C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download\'
        Details|contains|all:
            - 'rundll32.exe '
            - 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\advpack.dll,DelNodeRunDLL32'
        Details|contains:
            - '\AppData\Local\Temp\'
            - 'C:\Windows\Temp\'
    filter_optional_spotify:
        Image|endswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files\Spotify\Spotify.exe'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Spotify\Spotify.exe'
            - '\AppData\Roaming\Spotify\Spotify.exe'
        TargetObject|endswith: 'SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Spotify'
        Details|endswith: 'Spotify.exe --autostart --minimized'
    condition: selection_target and (selection_suspicious_paths_1 or (all of selection_suspicious_paths_user_* )) and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Software using weird folders for updates
level: high