splunk-security_content/docs/_posts/2021-03-31-disable_windows_smartscreen_protection.md

title, excerpt, categories, last_modified_at, toc, toc_label, tags

title	excerpt	categories	last_modified_at	toc	toc_label	tags
Disable Windows SmartScreen Protection	Disable or Modify Tools, Impair Defenses	Endpoint	2021-03-31	true		Disable or Modify Tools Defense Evasion Impair Defenses Defense Evasion Splunk Enterprise Splunk Enterprise Security Splunk Cloud Endpoint

Try in Splunk Security Cloud{: .btn .btn--success}

Description

The following search identifies a modification of registry to disable the smartscreen protection of windows machine. This is windows feature provide an early warning system against website that might engage in phishing attack or malware distribution. This modification are seen in RAT malware to cover their tracks upon downloading other of its component or other payload.

• Type: TTP
• Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud
• Datamodel: Endpoint
• Last Updated: 2021-03-31
• Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
• ID: 664f0fd0-91ff-11eb-a56f-acde48001122

ATT&CK

ID	Technique	Tactic
T1562.001	Disable or Modify Tools	Defense Evasion

| T1562 | Impair Defenses | Defense Evasion |

Search

| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Registry where Registry.registry_path= "*HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\SmartScreenEnabled"  Registry.registry_value_name = "Off" 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)` 
| `disable_windows_smartscreen_protection_filter`

Associated Analytic Story

• Windows Defense Evasion Tactics

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.

Required field

• _time
• Registry.registry_key_name
• Registry.registry_path
• Registry.user
• Registry.dest
• Registry.registry_value_nam

Kill Chain Phase

• Exploitation

Known False Positives

admin or user may choose to disable this windows features.

RBA

Risk Score	Impact	Confidence	Message
25.0	50	50	The Windows Smartscreen was disabled on dest by user.

Reference

• https://tccontre.blogspot.com/2020/01/remcos-rat-evading-windows-defender-av.html

Test Dataset

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

• 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

source | version: 1