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Elastic Docs ›Elastic Security Solution [8.3] ›Detections and alerts ›Prebuilt rule reference

Persistence via Hidden Run Key Detected

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Persistence via Hidden Run Key Detected

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Identifies a persistence mechanism that utilizes the NtSetValueKey native API to create a hidden (null terminated) registry key. An adversary may use this method to hide from system utilities such as the Registry Editor (regedit).

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • logs-endpoint.events.*
  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-windows.*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Persistence

Version: 5 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.2.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

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## Config

If enabling an EQL rule on a non-elastic-agent index (such as beats) for versions <8.2, events will not define `event.ingested` and default fallback for EQL rules was not added until 8.2, so you will need to add a custom pipeline to populate `event.ingested` to @timestamp for this rule to work.

Rule query

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/* Registry Path ends with backslash */ registry where /*
length(registry.data.strings) > 0 and */ registry.path :
("HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\",
"HKU\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\",
"HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\",
"HKLM\\Software\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\
\", "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\C
urrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run\\", "HKU\\*\\
Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run\
\", "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVers
ion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run\\")

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version history

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Version 5 (8.2.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 4 (8.1.0 release)

  • Updated query, changed from:

    /* Registry Path ends with backslash */ registry where /*
length(registry.data.strings) > 0 and */ registry.path :
("HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\",
"HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\",
"HKLM\\Software\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\
\", "HKEY_USERS\\*\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\C
urrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run\\", "HKLM\\S
oftware\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run\\
")
Version 3 (7.12.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 2 (7.11.2 release)
  • Formatting only
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