Windows Modify Registry MaxConnectionPerServer

Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Windows Modify Registry MaxConnectionPerServer
id:064cd09f-1ff4-4823-97e0-45c2f5b087ec
version:3
date:2024-09-30
author:Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status:production
type:Anomaly
Description:The following analytic identifies a suspicious modification of the Windows registry setting for max connections per server. It detects changes to specific registry paths using data from the Endpoint.Registry datamodel. This activity is significant because altering this setting can be exploited by attackers to increase the number of concurrent connections to a remote server, potentially facilitating DDoS attacks or enabling more effective lateral movement within a compromised network. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to network disruption or further compromise of additional systems.
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\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\\MaxConnectionsPerServer*" OR Registry.registry_path= "*\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Internet Settings\\MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server*") Registry.registry_value_data = "0x0000000a" 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_maxconnectionperserver_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.
References:
  -https://asec.ahnlab.com/en/17692/
  -https://www.blackberry.com/us/en/solutions/endpoint-security/ransomware-protection/warzone#:~:text=Warzone%20RAT%20(AKA%20Ave%20Maria)%20is%20a%20remote%20access%20trojan,is%20as%20an%20information%20stealer.
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:
    - 'Warzone RAT'
  asset_type:Endpoint
  confidence:50
  impact:50
  message:A registry modification in max connection per server configuration in $dest$
  mitre_attack_id:
    - 'T1112'
  observable:
    name:'dest'
    type:'Endpoint'
    - role:
      - 'Victim'
  product:
    - 'Splunk Enterprise'
    - 'Splunk Enterprise Security'
    - 'Splunk Cloud'
  risk_score:25
  required_fields:
    - '_time'
    - 'Registry.registry_key_name'
    - 'Registry.registry_path'
    - 'Registry.user'
    - 'Registry.dest'
    - 'Registry.registry_value_name'
    - 'Registry.action'
    - 'Registry.registry_value_data'
  security_domain:endpoint

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

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