Image File Execution Options Injection

The Debugger and SilentProcessExit registry keys can allow an adversary to intercept the execution of files, causing a different process to be executed. This functionality can be abused by an adversary to establish persistence.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.*
logs-windows.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 41

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

https://oddvar.moe/2018/04/10/persistence-using-globalflags-in-image-file-execution-options-hidden-from-autoruns-exe/

Tags:

Elastic
Host
Windows
Threat Detection
Persistence

Version: 4 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.14.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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registry where length(registry.data.strings) > 0 and registry.path :
("HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File
Execution Options\\*.exe\\Debugger",
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows
NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options\\*\\Debugger",
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows
NT\\CurrentVersion\\SilentProcessExit\\*\\MonitorProcess",
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows
NT\\CurrentVersion\\SilentProcessExit\\*\\MonitorProcess") and /*
add FPs here */ not registry.data.strings regex~ ("""C:\\Program
Files( \(x86\))?\\ThinKiosk\\thinkiosk\.exe""",
""".*\\PSAppDeployToolkit\\.*""")

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Persistence
- ID: TA0003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/
Technique:
- Name: Event Triggered Execution
- ID: T1546
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1546/

Rule version history

edit

Version 4 (7.14.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

registry where length(registry.data.strings) > 0 and registry.path :
("HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File
Execution Options\\*.exe\\Debugger",
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows
NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options\\*\\Debugger",
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows
NT\\CurrentVersion\\SilentProcessExit\\*\\MonitorProcess",
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows
NT\\CurrentVersion\\SilentProcessExit\\*\\MonitorProcess") and /*
add FPs here */ not registry.data.strings : ("C:\\Program
Files*\\ThinKiosk\\thinkiosk.exe", "*\\PSAppDeployToolkit\\*")

Version 3 (7.12.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 2 (7.11.2 release)

Formatting only

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