Windows Modify Registry No Auto Update

Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Windows Modify Registry No Auto Update
id:fbd4f333-17bb-4eab-89cb-860fa2e0600e
version:3
date:2024-09-30
author:Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status:production
type:Anomaly
Description:The following analytic identifies a suspicious modification to the Windows registry that disables automatic updates. It detects changes to the registry path `SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate\AU\NoAutoUpdate` with a value of `0x00000001`. This activity is significant as it is commonly used by adversaries, including malware like RedLine Stealer, to evade detection and maintain persistence. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to bypass security updates, leaving the system vulnerable to further exploitation and potential zero-day attacks.
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\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WindowsUpdate\\AU\\NoAutoUpdate" AND Registry.registry_value_data="0x00000001" by Registry.dest Registry.user Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_value_data Registry.registry_key_name
| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `windows_modify_registry_no_auto_update_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 `Processes` node. In addition, confirm the latest CIM App 4.20 or higher is installed and the latest TA for the endpoint product.
known_false_positives:Administrators may enable or disable this feature that may cause some false positive.
References:
  -https://learn.microsoft.com/de-de/security-updates/windowsupdateservices/18127499
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:
    - 'CISA AA23-347A'
    - 'RedLine Stealer'
  asset_type:Endpoint
  atomic_guid:
    - '12e03af7-79f9-4f95-af48-d3f12f28a260'
  confidence:70
  impact:70
  message:A registry modification in Windows auto update configuration 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'
    - 'Registry.registry_value_data'
  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/redline/modify_registry/sysmon.log
  source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
  sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
manual_test:None

Related Analytic Stories


RedLine Stealer

CISA AA23-347A