Detection rules › Splunk
Windows Modify Registry UpdateServiceUrlAlternate
The following analytic detects a suspicious modification to the Windows Update configuration registry key, specifically targeting the UpdateServiceUrlAlternate setting. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Registry datamodel to identify changes to this registry path. This activity is significant because adversaries, including malware like RedLine Stealer, exploit this technique to bypass detection and deploy additional payloads. If confirmed malicious, this modification could allow attackers to redirect update services, potentially leading to the execution of malicious code, further system compromise, and persistent evasion of security defenses.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Persistence | T1112 Modify Registry |
| Defense Evasion | T1112 Modify Registry |
Event coverage
| Provider | Event ID | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Sysmon | 13 | RegistryEvent (Value Set) |
Stages and Predicates
Stage 1: tstats
tstats WHERE Registry.registry_path="*\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WindowsUpdate\\UpdateServiceUrlAlternate" 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.
| Field | Kind | Values |
|---|---|---|
Registry.registry_path | eq |
|