Windows Modify Registry DisableSecuritySettings

Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Windows Modify Registry DisableSecuritySettings
id:989019b4-b7aa-418a-9a17-2293e91288b6
version:3
date:2024-09-30
author:Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status:production
type:TTP
Description:The following analytic detects modifications to the Windows registry that disable security settings for Terminal Services. It leverages the Endpoint data model, specifically monitoring changes to the registry path associated with Terminal Services security settings. This activity is significant because altering these settings can weaken the security posture of Remote Desktop Services, potentially allowing unauthorized remote access. If confirmed malicious, such modifications could enable attackers to gain persistent remote access to the system, facilitating further exploitation and data exfiltration.
Data_source:
  • -Sysmon EventID 12
  • -Sysmon EventID 13
search:| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Registry where Registry.registry_path = "*\\Terminal Services\\DisableSecuritySettings" Registry.registry_value_data = 0x00000001 by Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_value_name Registry.registry_value_data Registry.process_guid Registry.action Registry.user Registry.dest
| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `windows_modify_registry_disablesecuritysettings_filter`


how_to_implement:To successfully implement this search you need to be ingesting information on process that include the name of the process responsible for the changes from your endpoints into the `Endpoint` datamodel in the `Registry` node. Also make sure that this registry was included in your config files ex. sysmon config to be monitored.
known_false_positives:Administrators may enable or disable this feature that may cause some false positive, however is not common. Filter as needed.
References:
  -https://malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de/details/win.darkgate
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 ("$dest$") starthoursago=168 | 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:'$info_min_time$'
latest_offset:'$info_max_time$'
tags:
  analytic_story:
    - 'DarkGate Malware'
    - 'CISA AA23-347A'
  asset_type:Endpoint
  confidence:70
  impact:70
  message:the registry for terminal services settings was modified to disable security settings on $dest$.
  mitre_attack_id:
    - 'T1112'
  observable:
    name:'dest'
    type:'Endpoint'
    - role:
      - 'Victim'
  product:
    - 'Splunk Enterprise'
    - 'Splunk Enterprise Security'
    - 'Splunk Cloud'
  risk_score:49
  required_fields:
    - '_time'
    - 'Registry.registry_key_name'
    - 'Registry.registry_path'
    - 'Registry.user'
    - 'Registry.dest'
    - 'Registry.registry_value_name'
    - 'Registry.action'
  security_domain:endpoint

tests:
name:'True Positive Test'
 attack_data:
  data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1112/disablesecuritysetting.log
  source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
  sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
manual_test:None

Related Analytic Stories


CISA AA23-347A

DarkGate Malware