RDP Sensitive Settings Changed

Detects tampering of RDP Terminal Service/Server sensitive settings. Such as allowing unauthorized users access to a system via the 'fAllowUnsolicited' or enabling RDP via 'fDenyTSConnections'...etc

Sigma rule (View on GitHub)

 1title: RDP Sensitive Settings Changed
 2id: 3f6b7b62-61aa-45db-96bd-9c31b36b653c
 3related:
 4    - id: 171b67e1-74b4-460e-8d55-b331f3e32d67
 5      type: obsolete
 6    - id: 41904ebe-d56c-4904-b9ad-7a77bdf154b3
 7      type: obsolete
 8    - id: a2863fbc-d5cb-48d5-83fb-d976d4b1743b
 9      type: similar
10status: test
11description: |
12    Detects tampering of RDP Terminal Service/Server sensitive settings.
13    Such as allowing unauthorized users access to a system via the 'fAllowUnsolicited' or enabling RDP via 'fDenyTSConnections'...etc    
14references:
15    - https://web.archive.org/web/20200929062532/https://blog.menasec.net/2019/02/threat-hunting-rdp-hijacking-via.html # Related to RDP hijacking via the "ServiceDll" key
16    - http://woshub.com/rds-shadow-how-to-connect-to-a-user-session-in-windows-server-2012-r2/ # Related to the Shadow RPD technique
17    - https://twitter.com/SagieSec/status/1469001618863624194?t=HRf0eA0W1YYzkTSHb-Ky1A&s=03 # Related to the Shadow RPD technique
18    - https://threathunterplaybook.com/hunts/windows/190407-RegModEnableRDPConnections/notebook.html
19    - https://bazaar.abuse.ch/sample/6f3aa9362d72e806490a8abce245331030d1ab5ac77e400dd475748236a6cc81/
20    - http://etutorials.org/Microsoft+Products/microsoft+windows+server+2003+terminal+services/Chapter+6+Registry/Registry+Keys+for+Terminal+Services/ # Contain description for most of the keys mentioned here (check it out if you want more information
21    - https://admx.help/HKLM/SOFTWARE/Policies/Microsoft/Windows%20NT/Terminal%20Services # Contain description for most of the keys mentioned here (check it out if you want more information)
22    - https://blog.sekoia.io/darkgate-internals/
23    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/02c7d02fe1f1feb0fc7944550408ea8224273994/atomics/T1112/T1112.md#atomic-test-63---disable-remote-desktop-anti-alias-setting-through-registry
24    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/02c7d02fe1f1feb0fc7944550408ea8224273994/atomics/T1112/T1112.md#atomic-test-64---disable-remote-desktop-security-settings-through-registry
25author: Samir Bousseaden, David ANDRE, Roberto Rodriguez @Cyb3rWard0g, Nasreddine Bencherchali
26date: 2022-08-06
27modified: 2024-02-08
28tags:
29    - attack.defense-evasion
30    - attack.persistence
31    - attack.t1112
32logsource:
33    category: registry_set
34    product: windows
35detection:
36    selection_shadow:
37        TargetObject|contains:
38            - '\Control\Terminal Server\'
39            - '\Windows NT\Terminal Services\'
40        TargetObject|endswith: '\Shadow'
41        Details:
42            - 'DWORD (0x00000001)' # Full Control with user’s permission
43            - 'DWORD (0x00000002)' # Full Control without user’s permission
44            - 'DWORD (0x00000003)' # View Session with user’s permission
45            - 'DWORD (0x00000004)' # View Session without user’s permission
46    selection_terminal_services_key:
47        TargetObject|contains:
48            - '\Control\Terminal Server\'
49            - '\Windows NT\Terminal Services\'
50        TargetObject|endswith:
51            - '\DisableRemoteDesktopAntiAlias' # Disable anti-aliasing for remote desktop (DarkGate malware)
52            - '\DisableSecuritySettings' # Disable security settings, allowing access to programs/entire desktop (DarkGate malware)
53            - '\fAllowUnsolicited' # Allow unsolicited remote assistance offers
54            - '\fAllowUnsolicitedFullControl'
55        Details: 'DWORD (0x00000001)'
56    selection_tamper_only:
57        # Any changes to these keys should be suspicious and looked at
58        TargetObject|contains:
59            - '\Control\Terminal Server\InitialProgram' # This value can be set to specify a program to run automatically when a user logs on to a remote computer.
60            - '\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\InitialProgram' # This value can be set to specify a program to run automatically when a user logs on to a remote computer.
61            - '\services\TermService\Parameters\ServiceDll' # RDP hijacking
62            - '\Windows NT\Terminal Services\InitialProgram' # This value can be set to specify a program to run automatically when a user logs on to a remote computer.
63    condition: selection_shadow or selection_terminal_services_key or selection_tamper_only
64falsepositives:
65    - Some of the keys mentioned here could be modified by an administrator while setting group policy (it should be investigated either way)
66level: high

References

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