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Description

The following analytic identifies a modification in the Windows registry to disable security settings of Terminal Services. altering or disabling security settings within Terminal Services. Terminal Services, now known as Remote Desktop Services (RDS) in more recent Windows versions, allows users to access applications, data, and even an entire desktop remotely. DarkGate malware modify this registry as part of its malicious installation in a targeted host for its remote desktop capabilities.

  • Type: TTP
  • Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
  • Datamodel: Endpoint
  • Last Updated: 2023-12-27
  • Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
  • ID: 989019b4-b7aa-418a-9a17-2293e91288b6

Annotations

ATT&CK

ATT&CK

ID Technique Tactic
T1112 Modify Registry Defense Evasion
Kill Chain Phase
  • Exploitation
NIST
  • DE.CM
CIS20
  • CIS 10
CVE 


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| 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`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

:information_source: windows_modify_registry_disablesecuritysettings_filter is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Required fields

List of fields required to use this analytic.

  • _time
  • Registry.registry_key_name
  • Registry.registry_path
  • Registry.user
  • Registry.dest
  • Registry.registry_value_name
  • Registry.action

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.

Associated Analytic Story

RBA

Risk Score Impact Confidence Message
49.0 70 70 the registry for terminal services settings was modified to disable security settings on $dest$.

:information_source: The Risk Score is calculated by the following formula: Risk Score = (Impact * Confidence/100). Initial Confidence and Impact is set by the analytic author.

Reference

Test Dataset

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

source | version: 1