Windows Query Registry UnInstall Program List

Description

The following analytic detects an access request on the uninstall registry key. It leverages Windows Security Event logs, specifically event code 4663. This activity is significant because adversaries or malware can exploit this key to gather information about installed applications, aiding in further attacks. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to map out installed software, potentially identifying vulnerabilities or software to exploit, leading to further system compromise.

Query · spl

`wineventlog_security` EventCode=4663 object_file_path="*\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\*" | 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_query_registry_uninstall_program_list_filter`

Implementation guide

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

Known false positives

  • Uninstallers may access this registry to remove the entry of the target application. Filter as needed.

Analyst notes

Known false positives: Uninstallers may access this registry to remove the entry of the target application. Filter as needed.

Raw source Windows Query Registry UnInstall Program List · SPL
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Published by splunk/security_content ↗, licensed under Apache 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified. 
name: Windows Query Registry UnInstall Program List
id: 535fd4fc-7151-4062-9d7e-e896bea77bf6
version: 11
creation_date: '2023-05-02'
modification_date: '2026-08-14'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic detects an access request on the uninstall registry key. It leverages Windows Security Event logs, specifically event code 4663. This activity is significant because adversaries or malware can exploit this key to gather information about installed applications, aiding in further attacks. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to map out installed software, potentially identifying vulnerabilities or software to exploit, leading to further system compromise.
data_source:
    - Windows Event Log Security 4663
search: '`wineventlog_security` EventCode=4663 object_file_path="*\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\*" | 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_query_registry_uninstall_program_list_filter`'
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you must ingest Windows Security Event logs and track event code 4663. For Event code 4663, enable the "Audit Object Access" in Group Policy. Then check the two boxes listed for both "Success" and "Failure."
known_false_positives: Uninstallers may access this registry to remove the entry of the target application. Filter as needed.
references:
    - https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/win.redline_stealer
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 uninstall registry on $dest$
analytic_story:
    - StealC Stealer
    - RedLine Stealer
    - Meduza Stealer
    - Vidar Stealer
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1012
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/malware/redline/recon_registry/recon-reg-redline-security-xml.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Security
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit

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