Potential Persistence Via App Paths Default Property

Title: Potential Persistence Via App Paths Default Property
Status: test
Description:Detects changes to the "Default" property for keys located in the \Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\ registry. Which might be used as a method of persistence The entries found under App Paths are used primarily for the following purposes. First, to map an application's executable file name to that file's fully qualified path. Second, to prepend information to the PATH environment variable on a per-application, per-process basis.
References:
  -https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2013/01/19/beyond-good-ol-run-key-part-3/
  -https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/app-registration
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date: 2022-08-10
modified:2023-08-17
Tags:

• -'attack.privilege-escalation'
• -'attack.persistence'
• -'attack.t1546.012'

Logsource:

• category: registry_set
• product: windows

Detection:
  selection:
    TargetObject|contains: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths'
    TargetObject|endswith:
      -'(Default)'
      -'Path'

    Details|contains:
      -'\Users\Public'
      -'\AppData\Local\Temp\'
      -'\Windows\Temp\'
      -'\Desktop\'
      -'\Downloads\'
      -'%temp%'
      -'%tmp%'
      -'iex'
      -'Invoke-'
      -'rundll32'
      -'regsvr32'
      -'mshta'
      -'cscript'
      -'wscript'
      -'.bat'
      -'.hta'
      -'.dll'
      -'.ps1'

  condition:selection
Falsepositives:
  -Legitimate applications registering their binary from on of the suspicious locations mentioned above (tune it)
Level: high