Sigma rule: Potential Registry Persistence Attempt Via Windows Telemetry

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-ff8e73156c5e, updated 2023-08-17T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Potential Registry Persistence Attempt Via Windows Telemetry
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Lednyov Alexey, oscd.community, Sreeman
Date
2020-10-16
Modified
2023-08-17
File
rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_telemetry_persistence.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potential persistence behavior using the windows telemetry registry key.
Windows telemetry makes use of the binary CompatTelRunner.exe to run a variety of commands and perform the actual telemetry collections.
This binary was created to be easily extensible, and to that end, it relies on the registry to instruct on which commands to run.
The problem is, it will run any arbitrary command without restriction of location or type.

Log source

product
windows
category
registry_set
definition
Requirements: Sysmon config that monitors \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\TelemetryController subkey of the HKLM hives

Detection

selection:
    TargetObject|contains: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\TelemetryController\'
    TargetObject|endswith: '\Command'
    Details|contains:
        - '.bat'
        - '.bin'
        - '.cmd'
        - '.dat'
        - '.dll'
        - '.exe'
        - '.hta'
        - '.jar'
        - '.js'
        - '.msi'
        - '.ps'
        - '.sh'
        - '.vb'
filter_main_generic:
    Details|contains:
        - '\system32\CompatTelRunner.exe'
        - '\system32\DeviceCensus.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.privilege-escalation
  • attack.execution
  • attack.persistence
  • attack.t1053.005

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

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/registry/registry_set/registry_set_telemetry_persistence.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential Registry Persistence Attempt Via Windows Telemetry" by Lednyov Alexey, oscd.community, Sreeman (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_telemetry_persistence.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: Potential Registry Persistence Attempt Via Windows Telemetry",
entity page, dataset version ref-ff8e73156c5e, updated 2023-08-17T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/73a883d0-0348-4be4-a8d8-51031c2564f8 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 73a883d0-0348-4be4-a8d8-51031c2564f8, 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.