---
title: "Registry Keys Used For Persistence"
excerpt: "Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, Boot or Logon Autostart Execution"
categories:
  - Endpoint
last_modified_at: 2022-01-26
toc: true
toc_label: ""
tags:
  - Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
  - Persistence
  - Privilege Escalation
  - Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
  - Persistence
  - Privilege Escalation
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  - Endpoint
---



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#### Description

The search looks for modifications to registry keys that can be used to launch an application or service at system startup.

- **Type**: [TTP](https://github.com/splunk/security_content/wiki/Detection-Analytic-Types)
- **Product**: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
- **Datamodel**: [Endpoint](https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/CIM/latest/User/Endpoint)
- **Last Updated**: 2022-01-26
- **Author**: Jose Hernandez, David Dorsey, Teoderick Contreras, Rod Soto, Splunk
- **ID**: f5f6af30-7aa7-4295-bfe9-07fe87c01a4b


#### [ATT&CK](https://attack.mitre.org/)

| ID             | Technique        |  Tactic             |
| -------------- | ---------------- |-------------------- |
| [T1547.001](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/001/) | Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder | Persistence, Privilege Escalation |

| [T1547](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/) | Boot or Logon Autostart Execution | Persistence, Privilege Escalation |

#### Search

```

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry where (Registry.registry_path=*\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\RunOnce OR Registry.registry_path=*\\currentversion\\run* OR Registry.registry_path=*\\currentVersion\\Windows\\Appinit_Dlls* OR Registry.registry_path=*\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon\\Shell* OR Registry.registry_path=*\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon\\Notify* OR Registry.registry_path=*\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon\\Userinit* OR Registry.registry_path=*\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon\\VmApplet* OR Registry.registry_path=*\\currentversion\\policies\\explorer\\run* OR Registry.registry_path=*\\currentversion\\runservices* OR Registry.registry_path=HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Netsh\\* OR (Registry.registry_path="*Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Image File Execution Options*" AND Registry.registry_key_name=Debugger) OR (Registry.registry_path="*\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\Lsa" AND Registry.registry_key_name="Security Packages") OR (Registry.registry_path="*\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\Lsa\\OSConfig" AND Registry.registry_key_name="Security Packages") OR (Registry.registry_path="*\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\SilentProcessExit\\*") OR (Registry.registry_path="*currentVersion\\Windows" AND Registry.registry_key_name="Load") OR (Registry.registry_path="*\\CurrentVersion" AND Registry.registry_key_name="Svchost") OR (Registry.registry_path="*\\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager"AND Registry.registry_key_name="BootExecute") OR (Registry.registry_path="*\\Software\\Run" AND Registry.registry_key_name="auto_update")) by _time span=1h Registry.dest Registry.user Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_value_name Registry.registry_value_data Registry.process_guid Registry.registry_key_name 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)` 
|rename process_guid as proc_guid 
|join proc_guid, _time [
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes by _time span=1h Processes.process_id Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.dest Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process Processes.process_guid 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
|rename process_guid as proc_guid 
| fields _time dest user parent_process_name parent_process process_name process_path process proc_guid registry_path registry_value_name registry_value_data registry_key_name] 
| table _time dest user parent_process_name parent_process process_name process_path process proc_guid registry_path registry_value_name registry_value_data registry_key_name 
| `registry_keys_used_for_persistence_filter`
```

#### Macros
The SPL above uses the following Macros:
* [security_content_summariesonly](https://github.com/splunk/security_content/blob/develop/macros/security_content_summariesonly.yml)

Note that `registry_keys_used_for_persistence_filter` is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

#### Required field
* _time
* Registry.registry_key_name
* Registry.registry_path
* Registry.dest
* Registry.user


#### How To Implement
To successfully implement this search, you must be ingesting data that records registry activity from your hosts to populate the endpoint data model in the registry node. This is typically populated via endpoint detection-and-response product, such as Carbon Black or endpoint data sources, such as Sysmon. The data used for this search is typically generated via logs that report reads and writes to the registry.

#### Known False Positives
There are many legitimate applications that must execute on system startup and will use these registry keys to accomplish that task.

#### Associated Analytic story
* [Suspicious Windows Registry Activities](/stories/suspicious_windows_registry_activities)
* [Suspicious MSHTA Activity](/stories/suspicious_mshta_activity)
* [DHS Report TA18-074A](/stories/dhs_report_ta18-074a)
* [Possible Backdoor Activity Associated With MUDCARP Espionage Campaigns](/stories/possible_backdoor_activity_associated_with_mudcarp_espionage_campaigns)
* [Ransomware](/stories/ransomware)
* [Windows Persistence Techniques](/stories/windows_persistence_techniques)
* [Emotet Malware  DHS Report TA18-201A ](/stories/emotet_malware__dhs_report_ta18-201a_)
* [IcedID](/stories/icedid)
* [Remcos](/stories/remcos)


#### Kill Chain Phase
* Actions on Objectives



#### RBA

| Risk Score  | Impact      | Confidence   | Message      |
| ----------- | ----------- |--------------|--------------|
| 76.0 | 80 | 95 | A registry activity in $registry_path$ related to persistence in host $dest$ |


Note that risk score is calculated base on the following formula: `(Impact * Confidence)/100`



#### Reference


#### Test Dataset
Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our [`replay.py`](https://github.com/splunk/attack_data#using-replaypy) tool or the [UI](https://github.com/splunk/attack_data#using-ui).
Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a [Splunk Attack Range](https://github.com/splunk/attack_range#replay-dumps-into-attack-range-splunk-server)

* [https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1547.001/atomic_red_team/windows-sysmon.log](https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1547.001/atomic_red_team/windows-sysmon.log)
* [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1547.001/atomic_red_team/t1547001-runonce.log](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1547.001/atomic_red_team/t1547001-runonce.log)



[*source*](https://github.com/splunk/security_content/tree/develop/detections/endpoint/registry_keys_used_for_persistence.yml) \| *version*: **7**