Detection rules › Splunk

Windows Modify Registry Disable Windows Security Center Notif

Author
Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
Source
upstream

The following analytic detects modifications to the Windows registry aimed at disabling Windows Security Center notifications. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Registry datamodel, specifically monitoring changes to the registry path "\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell\UseActionCenterExperience" with a value of "0x00000000". This activity is significant as it can indicate an attempt by adversaries or malware, such as Azorult, to evade defenses by suppressing critical update notifications. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to persist undetected, potentially leading to further exploitation and compromise of the host system.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
PersistenceT1112 Modify Registry
Defense EvasionT1112 Modify Registry

Event coverage

ProviderEvent IDTitle
Sysmon13RegistryEvent (Value Set)

Stages and Predicates

Stage 1: tstats

tstats WHERE Registry.registry_path="*\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\ImmersiveShell\\UseActionCenterExperience*" Registry.registry_value_data="0x00000000" BY Registry.action, Registry.dest, Registry.process_guid, Registry.process_id, Registry.registry_hive, Registry.registry_path, Registry.registry_key_name, Registry.registry_value_data, Registry.registry_value_name, Registry.registry_value_type, Registry.status, Registry.user, Registry.vendor_product

Stage 2: search

search

Stage 3: search

search

Stage 4: search

search

Stage 5: search

search `macro`

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

FieldKindValues
Registry.registry_patheq
  • "*\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\ImmersiveShell\\UseActionCenterExperience*"
Registry.registry_value_dataeq
  • "0x00000000" corpus 27 (splunk 27)