Modification of IE Registry Settings

 1title: Modification of IE Registry Settings
 2id: d88d0ab2-e696-4d40-a2ed-9790064e66b3
 3status: test
 4description: Detects modification of the registry settings used for Internet Explorer and other Windows components that use these settings. An attacker can abuse this registry key to add a domain to the trusted sites Zone or insert JavaScript for persistence
 5references:
 6    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1112/T1112.md#atomic-test-4---add-domain-to-trusted-sites-zone
 7    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1112/T1112.md#atomic-test-5---javascript-in-registry
 8author: frack113
 9date: 2022-01-22
10modified: 2025-10-22
11tags:
12    - attack.persistence
13    - attack.defense-impairment
14    - attack.t1112
15logsource:
16    category: registry_set
17    product: windows
18detection:
19    selection_domains:
20        TargetObject|contains: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings'
21    filter_main_dword:
22        Details|startswith: 'DWORD'
23    filter_main_null:
24        Details: null
25    filter_main_office:
26        Details:
27            - 'Cookie:'
28            - 'Visited:'
29            - '(Empty)'
30    filter_main_path:
31        TargetObject|contains:
32            - '\Cache'
33            - '\ZoneMap'
34            - '\WpadDecision'
35    filter_main_binary:
36        Details: 'Binary Data'
37    filter_optional_accepted_documents:
38        # Spotted during Office installations
39        TargetObject|contains: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Accepted Documents'
40    condition: selection_domains and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
41falsepositives:
42    - Unknown
43level: low
44simulation:
45    - type: atomic-red-team
46      name: Add domain to Trusted sites Zone
47      technique: T1112
48      atomic_guid: cf447677-5a4e-4937-a82c-e47d254afd57
49    - type: atomic-red-team
50      name: Javascript in registry
51      technique: T1112
52      atomic_guid: 15f44ea9-4571-4837-be9e-802431a7bfae