Suspicious BootExecute Registry Modification


Description

Boot Execute allows native applications with the NtProcessStartup entry point and depends solely on ntdll.dll to run prior to the complete initialization of the Windows operating system. Adversaries may abuse this time window to tamper with endpoint security services prior they get a chance to start.

Query · eql

registry where event.action == "modification" and
 registry.path : "HKLM\\SYSTEM\\ControlSet*\\Control\\Session Manager\\BootExecute" and
 process.executable != null and registry.data.strings : "??*" and
 not (process.code_signature.trusted == true and
      process.code_signature.subject_name in ("NortonLifeLock Inc.", "Avast Software s.r.o.", "AOMEI International Network Limited",
                                              "QUICK HEAL TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED", "Glarysoft Ltd", "AVG Technologies USA, LLC",
                                              "VMware, Inc.", "Glarysoft LTD", "Omnissa, LLC", "Bitdefender SRL", "Symantec Corporation",
                                              "PIRIFORM SOFTWARE LIMITED", "CHENGDU AOMEI Tech Co., Ltd.", "Gen Digital Inc.")) and
 not process.executable : ("C:\\Windows\\System32\\chkdsk.exe",
                           "C:\\Windows\\System32\\fsavailux.exe",
                           "C:\\Windows\\System32\\msiexec.exe",
                           "C:\\Windows\\regedit.exe") and
 not registry.data.strings :
            ("autocheck autochk ?", "autocheck autoche ?", "autocheck autochk /k:? /k:? ?", "autocheck autochk /k:C /k:D /k:G ?",
             "autocheck autochk /q /v /k:? ?", "autocheck autochk /q /v /k:? *", "autocheck autochk /q /v ?",
             "autocheck autochk /r \\??\\C:",  "autocheck autochk /p \\??\\C:", "autocheck autochk /?:C ?", "autocheck autochk /q /v ")
Raw source Suspicious BootExecute Registry Modification · Elastic TOML
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Published by elastic/protections-artifacts ↗, licensed under Elastic License 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified.
[rule]
description = """
Boot Execute allows native applications with the NtProcessStartup entry point and depends solely on ntdll.dll to run
prior to the complete initialization of the Windows operating system. Adversaries may abuse this time window to tamper
with endpoint security services prior they get a chance to start.
"""
id = "d9748901-b533-4190-9cf1-0c8cd0512094"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Suspicious BootExecute Registry Modification"
os_list = ["windows"]
reference = ["https://github.com/rad9800/BootExecuteEDR"]
version = "1.0.4"

query = '''
registry where event.action == "modification" and
 registry.path : "HKLM\\SYSTEM\\ControlSet*\\Control\\Session Manager\\BootExecute" and
 process.executable != null and registry.data.strings : "??*" and
 not (process.code_signature.trusted == true and
      process.code_signature.subject_name in ("NortonLifeLock Inc.", "Avast Software s.r.o.", "AOMEI International Network Limited",
                                              "QUICK HEAL TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED", "Glarysoft Ltd", "AVG Technologies USA, LLC",
                                              "VMware, Inc.", "Glarysoft LTD", "Omnissa, LLC", "Bitdefender SRL", "Symantec Corporation",
                                              "PIRIFORM SOFTWARE LIMITED", "CHENGDU AOMEI Tech Co., Ltd.", "Gen Digital Inc.")) and
 not process.executable : ("C:\\Windows\\System32\\chkdsk.exe",
                           "C:\\Windows\\System32\\fsavailux.exe",
                           "C:\\Windows\\System32\\msiexec.exe",
                           "C:\\Windows\\regedit.exe") and
 not registry.data.strings :
            ("autocheck autochk ?", "autocheck autoche ?", "autocheck autochk /k:? /k:? ?", "autocheck autochk /k:C /k:D /k:G ?",
             "autocheck autochk /q /v /k:? ?", "autocheck autochk /q /v /k:? *", "autocheck autochk /q /v ?",
             "autocheck autochk /r \\??\\C:",  "autocheck autochk /p \\??\\C:", "autocheck autochk /?:C ?", "autocheck autochk /q /v ")
'''

min_endpoint_version = "8.4.0"
optional_actions = []
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1547"
name = "Boot or Logon Autostart Execution"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/"


[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0003"
name = "Persistence"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/"
[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1112"
name = "Modify Registry"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1112/"


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

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.4.0"

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