Windows Unsecured Outlook Credentials Access In Registry

Description

The following analytic detects unauthorized access to Outlook credentials stored in the Windows registry. It leverages Windows Security Event logs, specifically EventCode 4663, to identify access attempts to registry paths associated with Outlook profiles. This activity is significant as it may indicate attempts to steal sensitive email credentials, which could lead to unauthorized access to email accounts. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to exfiltrate sensitive information, impersonate users, or execute further unauthorized actions within Outlook, posing a significant security risk.

Query · spl

`wineventlog_security` EventCode=4663 object_file_path IN ("*\\Profiles\\Outlook\\9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676*", "*\\Windows Messaging Subsystem\\Profiles\\9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676*") AND process_name != *\\outlook.exe | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by object_file_name object_file_path process_name process_path  process_id EventCode dest | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_unsecured_outlook_credentials_access_in_registry_filter`

Implementation guide

To successfully implement this search, you must ingest Windows Security Event logs and track event code 4663. For 4663, enable "Audit Object Access" in Group Policy. Then check the two boxes listed for both "Success" and "Failure."

Known false positives

  • third party software may access this outlook registry.

Analyst notes

Known false positives: third party software may access this outlook registry.

Raw source Windows Unsecured Outlook Credentials Access In Registry · SPL
Esc
Published by splunk/security_content ↗, licensed under Apache 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified. 
name: Windows Unsecured Outlook Credentials Access In Registry
id: 36334123-077d-47a2-b70c-6c7b3cc85049
version: 14
creation_date: '2024-02-22'
modification_date: '2026-06-25'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic detects unauthorized access to Outlook credentials stored in the Windows registry. It leverages Windows Security Event logs, specifically EventCode 4663, to identify access attempts to registry paths associated with Outlook profiles. This activity is significant as it may indicate attempts to steal sensitive email credentials, which could lead to unauthorized access to email accounts. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to exfiltrate sensitive information, impersonate users, or execute further unauthorized actions within Outlook, posing a significant security risk.
data_source:
    - Windows Event Log Security 4663
search: '`wineventlog_security` EventCode=4663 object_file_path IN ("*\\Profiles\\Outlook\\9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676*", "*\\Windows Messaging Subsystem\\Profiles\\9375CFF0413111d3B88A00104B2A6676*") AND process_name != *\\outlook.exe | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by object_file_name object_file_path process_name process_path  process_id EventCode dest | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_unsecured_outlook_credentials_access_in_registry_filter`'
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you must ingest Windows Security Event logs and track event code 4663. For 4663, enable "Audit Object Access" in Group Policy. Then check the two boxes listed for both "Success" and "Failure."
known_false_positives: third party software may access this outlook registry.
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/choice
    - https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/win.404keylogger
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 20
          message: A suspicious process $process_name$ accessing outlook credentials registry on $dest$
analytic_story:
    - StealC Stealer
    - Snake Keylogger
    - Meduza Stealer
    - 0bj3ctivity Stealer
    - Lokibot
    - VIP Keylogger
    - Phantom Stealer
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1552
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1552/snakey_keylogger_outlook_reg_access/snakekeylogger_4663.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Security
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

Detection rules belong to the projects that publish them and remain under their own licenses. This site indexes and links to them; it claims no rights in them.