name: Disabling Task Manager
id: dac279bc-9202-11eb-b7fb-acde48001122
version: 4
date: '2023-04-27'
author: Steven Dick, Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
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.
data_source:
- Sysmon Event ID 1
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry
  WHERE (Registry.registry_path= "*\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\System\\DisableTaskMgr"
  Registry.registry_value_data = "0x00000001") BY _time span=1h Registry.dest Registry.user Registry.registry_path
  Registry.registry_key_name Registry.registry_value_name Registry.registry_value_data
  Registry.process_guid | `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)` | where isnotnull(registry_value_data)
  | `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
  logs with the registry value name, registry path, and registry value data from your
  endpoints. If you are using Sysmon, you must have at least version 2.0 of the offical
  Sysmon TA. https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/5709
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
  - Windows Registry Abuse
  - NjRAT
  asset_type: Endpoint
  confidence: 60
  impact: 70
  message: The Windows Task Manager was disabled on $dest$ by $user$.
  mitre_attack_id:
  - T1562.001
  - T1562
  observable:
  - name: user
    type: User
    role:
    - Victim
  - name: dest
    type: Hostname
    role:
    - Victim
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
  required_fields:
  - Registry.dest
  - Registry.registry_value_name
  - Registry.registry_key_name
  - Registry.registry_path
  - Registry.registry_value_data
  - Registry.process_guid
  risk_score: 42
  security_domain: endpoint
tests:
- name: True Positive Test
  attack_data:
  - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1562.001/win_app_defender_disabling/windows-security.log
    source: WinEventLog:Security
    sourcetype: WinEventLog
    update_timestamp: true
  - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1562.001/win_app_defender_disabling/windows-system.log
    source: WinEventLog:System
    sourcetype: WinEventLog
    update_timestamp: true
  - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1562.001/win_app_defender_disabling/windows-sysmon.log
    source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
    sourcetype: xmlwineventlog