Windows Modify Registry Disabling WER Settings

Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Windows Modify Registry Disabling WER Settings
id:21cbcaf1-b51f-496d-a0c1-858ff3070452
version:3
date:2024-09-30
author:Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status:production
type:TTP
Description:The following analytic detects modifications in the Windows registry to disable Windows Error Reporting (WER) settings. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Registry datamodel, specifically monitoring changes to registry paths related to WER with a value set to "0x00000001". This activity is significant as adversaries may disable WER to suppress error notifications, hiding the presence of malicious activities. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to operate undetected, potentially leading to prolonged persistence and further exploitation within the environment.
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= "*\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Windows Error Reporting\\disable*" Registry.registry_value_data="0x00000001" by Registry.registry_key_name Registry.user Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_value_data Registry.action Registry.dest
| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `windows_modify_registry_disabling_wer_settings_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://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/desktop/unattend/microsoft-windows-remoteassistance-exe-fallowtogethelp
  -https://app.any.run/tasks/a6f2ffe2-e6e2-4396-ae2e-04ea0143f2d8/
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:
    - 'Azorult'
    - 'CISA AA23-347A'
  asset_type:Endpoint
  confidence:70
  impact:70
  message:the registry for WER settings was modified to be disabled on $dest$.
  mitre_attack_id:
    - 'T1112'
  observable:
    name:'dest'
    type:'Endpoint'
    - role:
      - 'Victim'
  product:
    - 'Splunk Enterprise'
    - 'Splunk Enterprise Security'
    - 'Splunk Cloud'
  required_fields:
    - '_time'
    - 'Registry.registry_key_name'
    - 'Registry.registry_path'
    - 'Registry.user'
    - 'Registry.dest'
    - 'Registry.registry_value_name'
    - 'Registry.action'
  risk_score:49
  security_domain:endpoint

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

Related Analytic Stories


CISA AA23-347A

Azorult