CurrentVersion Autorun Keys Modification

  1title: CurrentVersion Autorun Keys Modification
  2id: 20f0ee37-5942-4e45-b7d5-c5b5db9df5cd
  3related:
  4    - id: 17f878b8-9968-4578-b814-c4217fc5768c
  5      type: obsolete
  6status: test
  7description: Detects modification of autostart extensibility point (ASEP) in registry.
  8references:
  9    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1547.001/T1547.001.md
 10    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns
 11    - https://gist.github.com/GlebSukhodolskiy/0fc5fa5f482903064b448890db1eaf9d # a list with registry keys
 12    - https://oddvar.moe/2018/03/21/persistence-using-runonceex-hidden-from-autoruns-exe/
 13author: Victor Sergeev, Daniil Yugoslavskiy, Gleb Sukhodolskiy, Timur Zinniatullin, oscd.community, Tim Shelton, frack113 (split)
 14date: 2019-10-25
 15modified: 2025-10-17
 16tags:
 17    - attack.privilege-escalation
 18    - attack.persistence
 19    - attack.t1547.001
 20logsource:
 21    category: registry_set
 22    product: windows
 23detection:
 24    selection_current_version_base:
 25        TargetObject|contains: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion'
 26    selection_current_version_keys:
 27        TargetObject|contains:
 28            - '\ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad'
 29            - '\Run\'
 30            - '\RunOnce\'
 31            - '\RunOnceEx\'
 32            - '\RunServices\'
 33            - '\RunServicesOnce\'
 34            - '\Policies\System\Shell'
 35            - '\Policies\Explorer\Run'
 36            - '\Group Policy\Scripts\Startup'
 37            - '\Group Policy\Scripts\Shutdown'
 38            - '\Group Policy\Scripts\Logon'
 39            - '\Group Policy\Scripts\Logoff'
 40            - '\Explorer\ShellServiceObjects'
 41            - '\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers'
 42            - '\Explorer\ShellExecuteHooks'
 43            - '\Explorer\SharedTaskScheduler'
 44            - '\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects'
 45            - '\Authentication\PLAP Providers'
 46            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers'
 47            - '\Authentication\Credential Provider Filters'
 48    filter_main_generic_all:
 49        - Details: '(Empty)'
 50        - TargetObject|endswith: '\NgcFirst\ConsecutiveSwitchCount'
 51        - Image|endswith:
 52              - '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\Update\OneDriveSetup.exe' # C:\Users\*\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\Update\OneDriveSetup.exe
 53              - '\AppData\Roaming\Spotify\Spotify.exe'
 54              - '\AppData\Local\WebEx\WebexHost.exe'
 55        - Image:
 56              - 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\devicecensus.exe'
 57              - 'C:\Windows\system32\winsat.exe'
 58              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\StandaloneUpdater\OneDriveSetup.exe'
 59              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\StandaloneUpdater\OneDriveSetup.exe'
 60              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\Update\OneDriveSetup.exe'
 61              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\Update\OneDriveSetup.exe'
 62              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\integration\Addons\OneDriveSetup.exe'
 63              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\integration\Addons\OneDriveSetup.exe'
 64              - 'C:\Program Files\KeePass Password Safe 2\ShInstUtil.exe'
 65              - 'C:\Program Files\Everything\Everything.exe'
 66              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\integration\integrator.exe'
 67              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\integration\integrator.exe'
 68    filter_main_logonui:
 69        Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\LogonUI.exe'
 70        TargetObject|contains:
 71            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers\{D6886603-9D2F-4EB2-B667-1971041FA96B}\'  # PIN
 72            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers\{BEC09223-B018-416D-A0AC-523971B639F5}\'  # fingerprint
 73            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers\{8AF662BF-65A0-4D0A-A540-A338A999D36F}\'  # facial recognizion
 74            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers\{27FBDB57-B613-4AF2-9D7E-4FA7A66C21AD}\'  # Trusted Signal (Phone proximity, Network location)
 75    filter_main_edge:
 76        Image|startswith:
 77            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Install\'
 78            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\'
 79            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe'
 80    filter_main_defender:
 81        Image: 'C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe'
 82    filter_main_teams:
 83        Image|endswith: '\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe'
 84        Details|contains: '\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe --processStart '
 85    filter_main_ctfmon:
 86        Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\userinit.exe'
 87        Details: 'ctfmon.exe /n'
 88    filter_optional_dropbox:
 89        Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\regsvr32.exe'
 90        TargetObject|contains: 'DropboxExt'
 91        Details|endswith: 'A251-47B7-93E1-CDD82E34AF8B}'
 92    filter_optional_opera_1:
 93        TargetObject|endswith: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Opera Browser Assistant'
 94        Details: 'C:\Program Files\Opera\assistant\browser_assistant.exe'
 95    filter_optional_opera_2:
 96        TargetObject|endswith: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Opera Stable'
 97        Details:
 98            - 'C:\Program Files\Opera\launcher.exe'
 99            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera\launcher.exe'
100    filter_optional_itunes:
101        TargetObject|endswith: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\iTunesHelper'
102        Details: '"C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"'
103    filter_optional_zoom:
104        TargetObject|endswith: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\zoommsirepair'
105        Details: '"C:\Program Files\Zoom\bin\installer.exe" /repair'
106    filter_optional_greenshot:
107        TargetObject|endswith: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Greenshot'
108        Details: 'C:\Program Files\Greenshot\Greenshot.exe'
109    filter_optional_googledrive1:
110        TargetObject|endswith: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\GoogleDriveFS'
111        Details|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\Google\Drive File Stream\'
112        Details|contains: '\GoogleDriveFS.exe'
113    filter_optional_googledrive2:
114        TargetObject|contains: 'GoogleDrive'
115        Details:
116            - '{CFE8B367-77A7-41D7-9C90-75D16D7DC6B6}'
117            - '{A8E52322-8734-481D-A7E2-27B309EF8D56}'
118            - '{C973DA94-CBDF-4E77-81D1-E5B794FBD146}'
119            - '{51EF1569-67EE-4AD6-9646-E726C3FFC8A2}'
120    filter_optional_onedrive:
121        Details|startswith:
122            - 'C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /q /c rmdir /s /q "C:\Users\'
123            - 'C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /q /c del /q "C:\Users\'
124        Details|contains: '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\'
125    filter_optional_python:
126        TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\{'
127        Details|contains|all:
128            - '\AppData\Local\Package Cache\{'
129            - '}\python-'
130        Details|endswith: '.exe" /burn.runonce'
131    filter_optional_officeclicktorun:
132        Image|startswith:
133            - 'C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\'
134            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\'
135        Image|endswith: '\OfficeClickToRun.exe'
136    filter_optional_teams:
137        Image|endswith: '\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe'
138        Details|contains: '\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe --processStart'
139    filter_optional_AVG_setup:
140        Image|contains:
141            - 'C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus\Setup\'
142            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\Antivirus\Setup\'
143            - '\instup.exe'
144        Details:
145            - '"C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus\AvLaunch.exe" /gui'
146            - '"C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\Antivirus\AvLaunch.exe" /gui'
147            - '{472083B0-C522-11CF-8763-00608CC02F24}'
148            - '{472083B1-C522-11CF-8763-00608CC02F24}'
149    filter_optional_Avast:
150        Image|contains:
151            - 'C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\Setup\'
152            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Avast Software\Avast\Setup\'
153            - '\instup.exe'
154        Details:
155            - '"C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\AvLaunch.exe" /gui'
156            - '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Avast Software\Avast\AvLaunch.exe" /gui'
157    filter_optional_AVG_avgtoolsvc:
158        Image:
159            - 'C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus\avgToolsSvc.exe'
160            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\Antivirus\avgToolsSvc.exe'
161        TargetObject|contains: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartupApproved\Run\'
162        Details: 'Binary Data'
163    filter_optional_aurora_dashboard:
164        Image|endswith:
165            - '\aurora-agent-64.exe'
166            - '\aurora-agent.exe'
167        TargetObject|endswith: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\aurora-dashboard'
168        Details: 'C:\Program Files\Aurora-Agent\tools\aurora-dashboard.exe'
169    filter_optional_everything:
170        TargetObject|endswith: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Everything'
171        Details|endswith: '\Everything\Everything.exe" -startup' # We remove the starting part as it could be installed in different locations
172    filter_optional_discord:
173        TargetObject|endswith: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Discord'
174        Details|endswith: '\Discord\Update.exe --processStart Discord.exe'
175    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
176falsepositives:
177    - Legitimate software automatically (mostly, during installation) sets up autorun keys for legitimate reason
178    - Legitimate administrator sets up autorun keys for legitimate reason
179level: medium