Windows EventLog Autologger Session Registry Modification Via CommandLine

Title: Windows EventLog Autologger Session Registry Modification Via CommandLine
Status: experimental
Description:Detects attempts to disable Windows EventLog autologger sessions via registry modification. The AutoLogger event tracing session records events that occur early in the operating system boot process. Applications and device drivers can use the AutoLogger session to capture traces before the user logs in. Adversaries may disable these sessions to evade detection and prevent security monitoring of early boot activities and system events.
References:
  -https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/etw/configuring-and-starting-an-autologger-session
  -https://ptylu.github.io/content/report/report.html?report=25
  -https://blog.palantir.com/tampering-with-windows-event-tracing-background-offense-and-defense-4be7ac62ac63
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
Date: 2025-12-25
modified:None
Tags:

• -'attack.defense-impairment'
• -'attack.t1685.001'

Logsource:

• category: process_creation
• product: windows

Detection:
  selection_img:
    - Image|endswith:
      - '\reg.exe'
      - '\powershell.exe'
      - '\pwsh.exe'
    - OriginalFileName:
      - 'reg.exe'
      - 'PowerShell.EXE'
      - 'pwsh.dll'
  selection_cli_action:
    CommandLine|contains:
      -'add '
      -'Set-ItemProperty'
      -'New-ItemProperty'
      -'si '

  selection_cli_base:
    CommandLine|contains: '\Control\WMI\Autologger\'
  selection_cli_key:
    CommandLine|contains:
      -'Start'
      -'Enabled'

  condition:all of selection_*
Falsepositives:
  -Unknown
Level: high