name: Disabling Security Tools
id: fcc27099-46a0-46b0-a271-5c7dab56b6f1
version: 2
date: '2020-02-04'
author: Rico Valdez, Splunk
type: batch
description: Looks for activities and techniques associated with the disabling of
  security tools on a Windows system, such as suspicious `reg.exe` processes, processes
  launching netsh, and many others.
narrative: Attackers employ a variety of tactics in order to avoid detection and operate
  without barriers. This often involves modifying the configuration of security tools
  to get around them or explicitly disabling them to prevent them from running. This
  Analytic Story includes searches that look for activity consistent with attackers
  attempting to disable various security mechanisms. Such activity may involve monitoring
  for suspicious registry activity, as this is where much of the configuration for
  Windows and various other programs reside, or explicitly attempting to shut down
  security-related services. Other times, attackers attempt various tricks to prevent
  specific programs from running, such as adding the certificates with which the security
  tools are signed to a block list (which would prevent them from running).
references:
- https://attack.mitre.org/wiki/Technique/T1089
- https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/2015/11/vonteera-adware-uses-certificates-to-disable-anti-malware/
- https://www.operationblockbuster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Operation-Blockbuster-Tools-Report.pdf
tags:
  analytic_story: Disabling Security Tools
  category:
  - Adversary Tactics
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  usecase: Security Monitoring
