Sigma rule: Service Registry Key Deleted Via Reg.EXE

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-d872353aa602, updated 2023-02-04T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Service Registry Key Deleted Via Reg.EXE
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-08-01
Modified
2023-02-04
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_delete_services.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of "reg.exe" commands with the "delete" flag on services registry key. Often used by attacker to remove AV software services

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: 'reg.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'reg.exe'
selection_delete:
    CommandLine|contains: ' delete '
selection_key:
    # Add specific services if you would like the rule to be more specific
    CommandLine|contains: '\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.defense-impairment
  • attack.t1685

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

References

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_delete_services.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Service Registry Key Deleted Via Reg.EXE" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_delete_services.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Service Registry Key Deleted Via Reg.EXE",
entity page, dataset version ref-d872353aa602, updated 2023-02-04T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/05b2aa93-1210-42c8-8d9a-2fcc13b284f5 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 05b2aa93-1210-42c8-8d9a-2fcc13b284f5, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.