Change Default File Association
Description
This analytic is developed to detect suspicious registry modification to change the default file association of windows to malicious payload. This technique was seen in some APT where it modify the default process to run file association, like .txt to notepad.exe. Instead notepad.exe it will point to a Script or other payload that will load malicious commands to the compromised host.
- Type: TTP
- Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
- Datamodel: Endpoint
- Last Updated: 2023-04-14
- Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
- ID: 462d17d8-1f71-11ec-ad07-acde48001122
Annotations
ATT&CK
Kill Chain Phase
- Exploitation
- Installation
NIST
- DE.CM
CIS20
- CIS 10
CVE
Search
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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 ="*\\shell\\open\\command\\*" Registry.registry_path = "*HKCR\\*" by Registry.dest Registry.user Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_key_name Registry.registry_value_name
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)`
| `change_default_file_association_filter`
Macros
The SPL above uses the following Macros:
change_default_file_association_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.dest
- Registry.user
- Registry.registry_path
- Registry.registry_key_name
- Registry.registry_value_name
How To Implement
To successfully implement this search, you must be ingesting data that records registry activity from your hosts to populate the endpoint data model in the registry node. This is typically populated via endpoint detection-and-response product, such as Carbon Black or endpoint data sources, such as Sysmon. The data used for this search is typically generated via logs that report reads and writes to the registry.
Known False Positives
unknown
Associated Analytic Story
- Hermetic Wiper
- Windows Registry Abuse
- Prestige Ransomware
- Windows Privilege Escalation
- Windows Persistence Techniques
- Data Destruction
RBA
Risk Score | Impact | Confidence | Message |
---|---|---|---|
80.0 | 80 | 100 | modified/added/deleted registry entry $Registry.registry_path$ in $dest$ |
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