Registry Keys Used For Privilege Escalation

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Description

This search looks for modifications to registry keys that can be used to elevate privileges. The registry keys under "Image File Execution Options" are used to intercept calls to an executable and can be used to attach malicious binaries to benign system binaries.

• Type: TTP
• Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
• Datamodel: Endpoint
• Last Updated: 2023-04-27
• Author: Steven Dick, David Dorsey, Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
• ID: c9f4b923-f8af-4155-b697-1354f5bcbc5e

Annotations

ATT&CK

ATT&CK

ID	Technique	Tactic
T1546.012	Image File Execution Options Injection	Privilege Escalation, Persistence

T1546

Event Triggered Execution

Privilege Escalation, Persistence

Kill Chain Phase

• Exploitation
• Installation

NIST

• DE.CM

CIS20

• CIS 10

CVE

Search

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry WHERE ((Registry.registry_path="*Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options*") AND (Registry.registry_value_name=GlobalFlag OR Registry.registry_value_name=Debugger)) BY _time span=1h Registry.dest Registry.user Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_key_name Registry.registry_value_name Registry.registry_value_data Registry.process_guid 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)` 
| where isnotnull(registry_value_data) 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `registry_keys_used_for_privilege_escalation_filter`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

• security_content_ctime
• security_content_summariesonly

registry_keys_used_for_privilege_escalation_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.registry_value_name
• Registry.registry_key_name
• Registry.registry_path
• Registry.registry_value_data
• Registry.process_guid

How To Implement

To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting logs with the registry value name, registry path, and registry value data from your endpoints. If you are using Sysmon, you must have at least version 2.0 of the offical Sysmon TA. https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/5709

Known False Positives

There are many legitimate applications that must execute upon system startup and will use these registry keys to accomplish that task.

Associated Analytic Story

• Cloud Federated Credential Abuse
• Hermetic Wiper
• Windows Privilege Escalation
• Windows Registry Abuse
• Data Destruction
• Suspicious Windows Registry Activities

RBA

Risk Score	Impact	Confidence	Message
76.0	80	95	A registry activity in $registry_path$ related to privilege escalation in host $dest$

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

• https://blog.malwarebytes.com/101/2015/12/an-introduction-to-image-file-execution-options/

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: 7