name: Disabling Task Manager
id: dac279bc-9202-11eb-b7fb-acde48001122
version: 1
date: '2021-03-31'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
type: batch
datamodel:
- Endpoint
description: This search is to identifies modification of registry to disable the
  task manager of windows operating system. this event or technique are commonly seen
  in malware such as RAT, Trojan, TrojanSpy or worm to prevent the user to terminate
  their process.
search: '| 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\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr"
  Registry.registry_value_name = "DWORD (0x00000001)" by Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_key_name
  Registry.registry_value_name Registry.dest | `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)` | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `disabling_task_manager_filter`'
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: admin may disable this application for non technical user.
references:
- https://any.run/report/ea4ea08407d4ee72e009103a3b77e5a09412b722fdef67315ea63f22011152af/a866d7b1-c236-4f26-a391-5ae32213dfc4#registry
- https://blog.talosintelligence.com/2020/05/threat-roundup-0424-0501.html
tags:
  analytic_story:
  - Windows Defense Evasion Tactics
  automated_detection_testing: passed
  confidence: 60
  context:
  - Source:Endpoint
  - Stage:Defense Evasion
  dataset:
  - https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1562.001/win_app_defender_disabling/windows-security.log
  - https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1562.001/win_app_defender_disabling/windows-system.log
  - https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1562.001/win_app_defender_disabling/windows-sysmon.log
  impact: 70
  kill_chain_phases:
  - Exploitation
  message: The Windows Task Manager was disabled on $dest$ by $user$.
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1562.001
  observable:
  - name: user
    type: User
    role:
    - Victim
  - name: dest
    type: Hostname
    role:
    - Victim
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  required_fields:
  - _time
  - Registry.registry_key_name
  - Registry.registry_path
  - Registry.user
  - Registry.dest
  - Registry.registry_value_name
  risk_score: 42
  security_domain: endpoint