Applied Cybernetics Group
T1112 Modify Registry
- Technique
T1112- Tactics
- Defense Evasion, Persistence
- Research, 90 days
- 5
- KEV CVEs mapped
- 4
- SigmaHQ rules
- 94
- Elastic, Splunk
- 124
- thrunt rules
- 0
- Upstream
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1112
MITRE description
Adversaries may interact with the Windows Registry as part of a variety of other techniques to aid in defense evasion, persistence, and execution. Access to specific areas of the Registry depends on account permissions, with some keys requiring administrator-level access. The built-in Windows command-line utility [Reg](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0075) may be used for local or remote Registry modification.(Citation: Microsoft Reg) Other tools, such as remote access tools, may also contain functionality to interact with the Registry through the Windows API. The Registry may be modified in order to hide configuration information or malicious payloads via [Obfuscated Files or Information](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1027).(Citation: Unit42 BabyShark Feb 2019)(Citation: Avaddon Ransomware 2021)(Citation: Microsoft BlackCat Jun 2022)(Citation: CISA Russian Gov Critical Infra 2018) The Registry may also be modified to impair defenses, such as by enabling macros for all Microsoft Office products, allowing privilege escalation without alerting the user, increasing the maximum number of allowed outbound requests, and/or modifying systems to store plaintext credentials in memory.(Citation: CISA LockBit 2023)(Citation: Unit42 BabyShark Feb 2019) The Registry of a remote system may be modified to aid in execution of files as part of lateral movement. It requires the remote Registry service to be running on the target system.(Citation: Microsoft Remote) Often [Valid Accounts](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1078) are required, along with access to the remote system's [SMB/Windows Admin Shares](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021/002) for RPC communication. Finally, Registry modifications may also include actions to hide keys, such as prepending key names with a null character, which will cause an error and/or be ignored when read via [Reg](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0075) or other utilities using the Win32 API.(Citation: Microsoft Reghide NOV 2006) Adversaries may abuse these pseudo-hidden keys to conceal payloads/commands used to maintain persistence.(Citation: TrendMicro POWELIKS AUG 2014)(Citation: SpectorOps Hiding Reg Jul 2017)
KEV CVEs mapped to this technique
MITRE CTID maps these KEV CVEs to this technique by hand. They are the actively exploited vulnerabilities behind this technique's KEV signal.
Research citing this technique
Reports and advisories from the last 90 days that cite this technique.
-
2026-11-04ESET: SlippyNunchucks hijacks Sogou Input Method’s brand promotion mechanism to distribute malware -
2026-10-30Darktrace: CikaBika Bot: Inside a Discord RAT Campaign -
2026-10-22Group-IB: Inside SiriusQT: A Seriously Skilled RAT -
2026-10-14Group-IB: KGB RAT: A Fully Undetectable Windows Trojan Built to Spy, Steal, and Terrorize -
2026-09-29Microsoft Threat Intelligence: Phishing Abuses RMM Tools for Persistent Access
Detection coverage
SigmaHQ community rules
- OceanLotus Registry Activity (emerging-threats)
- OilRig APT Activity (emerging-threats)
- OilRig APT Registry Persistence (emerging-threats)
- OilRig APT Schedule Task Persistence - Security (emerging-threats)
- OilRig APT Schedule Task Persistence - System (emerging-threats)
- Potential Ursnif Malware Activity - Registry (emerging-threats)
- CVE-2020-1048 Exploitation Attempt - Suspicious New Printer Ports - Registry (emerging-threats)
- Blue Mockingbird (emerging-threats)
- Blue Mockingbird - Registry (emerging-threats)
- FlowCloud Registry Markers (emerging-threats)
- Blackbyte Ransomware Registry (emerging-threats)
- Potential NetWire RAT Activity - Registry (emerging-threats)
- Potential Raspberry Robin Registry Set Internet Settings ZoneMap (emerging-threats)
- Access To .Reg/.Hive Files By Uncommon Applications (threat-hunting)
- Microsoft Office Trusted Location Updated (threat-hunting)
- Service Binary in User Controlled Folder (threat-hunting)
- Remote Registry Lateral Movement (core)
- ETW Logging Disabled In .NET Processes - Registry (core)
- NetNTLM Downgrade Attack (core)
- Sysmon Channel Reference Deletion (core)
- Registry Modification Attempt Via VBScript - PowerShell (core)
- New DNS ServerLevelPluginDll Installed Via Dnscmd.EXE (core)
- Security Event Logging Disabled via MiniNt Registry Key - Process (core)
- Potentially Suspicious Desktop Background Change Using Reg.EXE (core)
- Potential Suspicious Registry File Imported Via Reg.EXE (core)
Showing 25 of 94 community rules.
the full set is tagged attack.t1112 in
SigmaHQ.
Elastic and Splunk rules
- Outlook Home Page Registry Modification (elastic)
- Port Forwarding Rule Addition (elastic)
- Full User-Mode Dumps Enabled System-Wide (elastic)
- Modification of WDigest Security Provider (elastic)
- Modification of AmsiEnable Registry Key (elastic)
- Potential Evasion via Boot Time Removal Tool (elastic)
- Code Signing Policy Modification Through Registry (elastic)
- Windows Defender Disabled via Registry Modification (elastic)
- Network-Level Authentication (NLA) Disabled (elastic)
- PowerShell Script Block Logging Disabled (elastic)
- DNS-over-HTTPS Enabled via Registry (elastic)
- Potential Uninstall Entry Concealment (elastic)
- Disabling Lsa Protection via Registry Modification (elastic)
- Microsoft Windows Defender Tampering (elastic)
- MS Office Macro Security Registry Modifications (elastic)
- Potential NetNTLMv1 Downgrade Attack (elastic)
- Local Account TokenFilter Policy Disabled (elastic)
- DNS Global Query Block List Modified or Disabled (elastic)
- Potential RemoteMonologue Attack (elastic)
- SolarWinds Process Disabling Services via Registry (elastic)
- Windows Subsystem for Linux Distribution Installed (elastic)
- NullSessionPipe Registry Modification (elastic)
- RDP Enabled via Registry (elastic)
- Registry Persistence via AppInit DLL (elastic)
- Image File Execution Options Injection (elastic)
Showing 25 of 124.