Sigma rule: COM Object Hijacking Via Modification Of Default System CLSID Default Value

Rule

Title

COM Object Hijacking Via Modification Of Default System CLSID Default Value

Status

experimental

Level

high

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2024-07-16

Modified

2025-11-10

File

rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_persistence_com_hijacking_builtin.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potential COM object hijacking via modification of default system CLSID.

Log source

product

windows

category

registry_set

Detection

selection_target_root:
    TargetObject|contains: '\CLSID\'
    TargetObject|endswith:
        - '\InprocServer32\(Default)'
        - '\LocalServer32\(Default)'
selection_target_builtin_clsid:
    TargetObject|contains:
        # Note: Add other legitimate CLSID
        - '\{1f486a52-3cb1-48fd-8f50-b8dc300d9f9d}\'
        - '\{2155fee3-2419-4373-b102-6843707eb41f}\'
        - '\{4590f811-1d3a-11d0-891f-00aa004b2e24}\'
        - '\{4de225bf-cf59-4cfc-85f7-68b90f185355}\'
        - '\{ddc05a5a-351a-4e06-8eaf-54ec1bc2dcea}\'
        - '\{F56F6FDD-AA9D-4618-A949-C1B91AF43B1A}\'
        - '\{F82B4EF1-93A9-4DDE-8015-F7950A1A6E31}\'
        - '\{7849596a-48ea-486e-8937-a2a3009f31a9}\'
        - '\{0b91a74b-ad7c-4a9d-b563-29eef9167172}\'
        - '\{603D3801-BD81-11d0-A3A5-00C04FD706EC}\'
        - '\{30D49246-D217-465F-B00B-AC9DDD652EB7}\'
        - '\{A7A63E5C-3877-4840-8727-C1EA9D7A4D50}\'
        - '\{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}\'
        - '\{2DEA658F-54C1-4227-AF9B-260AB5FC3543}\'
        - '\{AA509086-5Ca9-4C25-8F95-589D3C07B48A}\'
selection_susp_location_1:
    Details|contains:
        # Note: Add more suspicious paths and locations
        - ':\Perflogs\'
        - '\AppData\Local\'
        - '\Desktop\'
        - '\Downloads\'
        - '\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\'
        - '\System32\spool\drivers\color\' # as seen in the knotweed blog
        - '\Temporary Internet'
        - '\Users\Public\'
        - '\Windows\Temp\'
        - '%appdata%'
        - '%temp%'
        - '%tmp%'
selection_susp_location_2:
    - Details|contains|all:
          - ':\Users\'
          - '\Favorites\'
    - Details|contains|all:
          - ':\Users\'
          - '\Favourites\'
    - Details|contains|all:
          - ':\Users\'
          - '\Contacts\'
    - Details|contains|all:
          - ':\Users\'
          - '\Pictures\'
condition: all of selection_target_* and 1 of selection_susp_location_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unlikely

Tags

• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.persistence
• attack.t1546.015

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1546.015

Related rules

• 3d968d17-ffa4-4bc0-bfdc-f139de76ce77 (obsolete)
• a0ff33d8-79e4-4cef-b4f3-9dc4133ccd12 (obsolete)

References

• https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/07/27/untangling-knotweed-european-private-sector-offensive-actor-using-0-day-exploits/ (idea)
• https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/snipbot-romcom-malware-variant/
• https://blog.talosintelligence.com/uat-5647-romcom/
• https://global.ptsecurity.com/analytics/pt-esc-threat-intelligence/darkhotel-a-cluster-of-groups-united-by-common-techniques
• https://threatbook.io/blog/Analysis-of-APT-C-60-Attack-on-South-Korea
• https://catalyst.prodaft.com/public/report/inside-the-latest-espionage-campaign-of-nebulous-mantis
• https://github.com/rtecCyberSec/BitlockMove
• https://cert.gov.ua/article/6284080
• https://securelist.com/forumtroll-apt-hacking-team-dante-spyware/117851/

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_persistence_com_hijacking_builtin.yml