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Description

The following analytic identifies a modification in the Windows registry by the Applocker utility that contains details or registry data values related to denying the execution of several security products. This technique was seen in Azorult malware where it drops an xml Applocker policy that will deny several AV products and then loaded by using PowerShell Applocker commandlet.

  • Type: TTP
  • Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
  • Datamodel: Endpoint
  • Last Updated: 2022-06-24
  • Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
  • ID: e0b6ca60-9e29-4450-b51a-bba0abae2313

Annotations

ATT&CK

ATT&CK

ID Technique Tactic
T1562.001 Disable or Modify Tools Defense Evasion
T1562 Impair Defenses Defense Evasion
Kill Chain Phase
  • Exploitation
NIST
  • DE.CM
CIS20
  • CIS 10
CVE
1
2
3
4
5
6
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry where (Registry.registry_path= "*\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Group Policy Objects\\*" AND Registry.registry_path= "*}Machine\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\SrpV2*") OR Registry.registry_path="*\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\SrpV2*" AND Registry.registry_value_data = "*Action\=\"Deny\"*" AND Registry.registry_value_data IN("*O=SYMANTEC*","*O=MCAFEE*","*O=KASPERSKY*","*O=BLEEPING COMPUTER*", "*O=PANDA SECURITY*","*O=SYSTWEAK SOFTWARE*", "*O=TREND MICRO*", "*O=AVAST*", "*O=GRIDINSOFT*", "*O=MICROSOFT*", "*O=NANO SECURITY*", "*O=SUPERANTISPYWARE.COM*", "*O=DOCTOR WEB*", "*O=MALWAREBYTES*", "*O=ESET*", "*O=AVIRA*", "*O=WEBROOT*") by  Registry.user Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_value_data Registry.action Registry.registry_key_name Registry.dest 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)` 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `windows_impair_defense_deny_security_software_with_applocker_filter`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

:information_source: windows_impair_defense_deny_security_software_with_applocker_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
  • Processes.dest
  • Processes.user
  • Processes.parent_process_name
  • Processes.parent_process
  • Processes.original_file_name
  • Processes.process_name
  • Processes.process
  • Processes.process_id
  • Processes.parent_process_path
  • Processes.process_path
  • Processes.parent_process_id

How To Implement

To successfully implement this search you need to be ingesting information on process that include the name of the process responsible for the changes from your endpoints into the Endpoint datamodel in the Registry node. Also make sure that this registry was included in your config files ex. sysmon config to be monitored.

Known False Positives

False positives may be present based on organization use of Applocker. Filter as needed.

Associated Analytic Story

RBA

Risk Score Impact Confidence Message
100.0 100 100 Applocker registry modification to deny the action of several AV products on $dest$.

:information_source: 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

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

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