Applied Cybernetics Group
T1547.001 — Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
- Technique
T1547.001- Tactics
- Persistence, Privilege Escalation
- MISP citations
- 0
- KEV CVEs mapped
- 1
- Community rules
- 39
- thrunt rules
- 0
- Upstream
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547/001
MITRE description
Adversaries may achieve persistence by adding a program to a startup folder or referencing it with a Registry run key. Adding an entry to the "run keys" in the Registry or startup folder will cause the program referenced to be executed when a user logs in.(Citation: Microsoft Run Key) These programs will be executed under the context of the user and will have the account's associated permissions level. The following run keys are created by default on Windows systems: * <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run</code> * <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce</code> * <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run</code> * <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce</code> Run keys may exist under multiple hives.(Citation: Microsoft Wow6432Node 2018)(Citation: Malwarebytes Wow6432Node 2016) The <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx</code> is also available but is not created by default on Windows Vista and newer. Registry run key entries can reference programs directly or list them as a dependency.(Citation: Microsoft Run Key) For example, it is possible to load a DLL at logon using a "Depend" key with RunOnceEx: <code>reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx\0001\Depend /v 1 /d "C:\temp\evil[.]dll"</code> (Citation: Oddvar Moe RunOnceEx Mar 2018) Placing a program within a startup folder will also cause that program to execute when a user logs in. There is a startup folder location for individual user accounts as well as a system-wide startup folder that will be checked regardless of which user account logs in. The startup folder path for the current user is <code>C:\Users\\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup</code>. The startup folder path for all users is <code>C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp</code>. The following Registry keys can be used to set startup folder items for persistence: * <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders</code> * <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders</code> * <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders</code> * <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders</code> The following Registry keys can control automatic startup of services during boot: * <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce</code> * <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce</code> * <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices</code> * <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices</code> Using policy settings to specify startup programs creates corresponding values in either of two Registry keys: * <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run</code> * <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run</code> Programs listed in the load value of the registry key <code>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows</code> run automatically for the currently logged-on user. By default, the multistring <code>BootExecute</code> value of the registry key <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager</code> is set to <code>autocheck autochk *</code>. This value causes Windows, at startup, to check the file-system integrity of the hard disks if the system has been shut down abnormally. Adversaries can add other programs or processes to this registry value which will automatically launch at boot. Adversaries can use these configuration locations to execute malware, such as remote access tools, to maintain persistence through
KEV CVEs mapped to this technique
Per MITRE CTID's hand-curated KEV→ATT&CK mappings — these are the actively-exploited vulnerabilities behind this technique's KEV signal.
Detection coverage
SigmaHQ community rules
- Potential Ryuk Ransomware Activity (emerging-threats)
- Leviathan Registry Key Activity (emerging-threats)
- Suspicious VBScript UN2452 Pattern (emerging-threats)
- Potential KamiKakaBot Activity - Winlogon Shell Persistence (emerging-threats)
- Kapeka Backdoor Autorun Persistence (emerging-threats)
- Forest Blizzard APT - Custom Protocol Handler DLL Registry Set (emerging-threats)
- Forest Blizzard APT - Custom Protocol Handler Creation (emerging-threats)
- Registry Set With Crypto-Classes From The "Cryptography" PowerShell Namespace (threat-hunting)
- File Creation In Suspicious Directory By Msdt.EXE (core)
- Potential Startup Shortcut Persistence Via PowerShell.EXE (core)
- Startup Folder File Write (core)
- Suspicious Startup Folder Persistence (core)
- WinRAR Creating Files in Startup Locations (core)
- Suspicious Autorun Registry Modified via WMI (core)
- Potential Persistence Attempt Via Run Keys Using Reg.EXE (core)
- Direct Autorun Keys Modification (core)
- Potential Suspicious Activity Using SeCEdit (core)
- User Shell Folders Registry Modification via CommandLine (core)
- Narrator's Feedback-Hub Persistence (core)
- Suspicious Run Key from Download (core)
- Classes Autorun Keys Modification (core)
- Common Autorun Keys Modification (core)
- CurrentControlSet Autorun Keys Modification (core)
- CurrentVersion NT Autorun Keys Modification (core)
- CurrentVersion Autorun Keys Modification (core)
Showing 25 of 39 community rules —
the full set is tagged attack.t1547.001 in
SigmaHQ.