Cross-source coverage
T1546.010 / ATT&CK
Event Triggered Execution: AppInit DLLs
3 rules across 3 sources.
From MITRE ATT&CK 19.2
Adversaries may establish persistence and/or elevate privileges by executing malicious content triggered by AppInit DLLs loaded into processes. Dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) that are specified in the AppInit_DLLs value in the Registry keys HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows are loaded by user32.dll into every process that loads user32.dll. In practice this is nearly every program, since user32.dll is a very common library.
Similar to Process Injection, these values can be abused to obtain elevated privileges by causing a malicious DLL to be loaded and run in the context of separate processes on the computer. Malicious AppInit DLLs may also provide persistence by continuously being triggered by API activity.
The AppInit DLL functionality is disabled in Windows 8 and later versions when secure boot is enabled.
- Tactics
- Privilege Escalation · Persistence
- Platforms
- Windows
- Telemetry
-
WinEventLog:Sysmon
How MITRE says to detect it DET0557
Detection Strategy for Event Triggered Execution: AppInit DLLs (Windows)
Windows Analytic 1536
Registry key modification to AppInit_DLLs value followed by anomalous DLL loading by processes importing user32.dll, especially unsigned or uncommon DLLs, suggesting unauthorized AppInit persistence or privilege escalation.
WinEventLog:SysmonEventCode=1WinEventLog:SysmonEventCode=7WinEventLog:SysmonEventCode=13, 14
SigmaHQ/sigma
1 rule| Detection | Severity | Format |
|---|---|---|
| New DLL Added to AppInit_DLLs Registry Key | Medium | Sigma |
elastic/detection-rules
1 rule| Detection | Severity | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Registry Persistence via AppInit DLL | Medium | Elastic TOML |
socfortress/Wazuh-Rules
1 rule| Detection | Severity | Format |
|---|---|---|
| T1546.010 - Event Triggered Execution: AppInit DLLs Registry Modification | High | Wazuh XML |