Sigma rule: Potential Ke3chang/TidePool Malware Activity

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-15632553f931, updated 2023-03-10T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Potential Ke3chang/TidePool Malware Activity
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Markus Neis, Swisscom
Date
2020-06-18
Modified
2023-03-10
File
rules-emerging-threats/2020/Malware/Ke3chang-TidePool/proc_creation_win_malware_ke3chang_tidepool.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects registry modifications potentially related to the Ke3chang/TidePool malware as seen in campaigns running in 2019 and 2020

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection:
    # Ke3chang and TidePool both modify the IEHarden registry key, as well as the following list of keys.
    # Setting these registry keys is unique to the Ke3chang and TidePool malware families.
    # HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\Check_Associations
    # HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\DisableFirstRunCustomize
    # HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\IEharden
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '-Property DWORD -name DisableFirstRunCustomize -value 2 -Force'
        - '-Property String -name Check_Associations -value'
        - '-Property DWORD -name IEHarden -value 0 -Force'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.defense-impairment
  • attack.g0004
  • attack.t1685
  • detection.emerging-threats

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-emerging-threats/2020/Malware/Ke3chang-TidePool/proc_creation_win_malware_ke3chang_tidepool.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential Ke3chang/TidePool Malware Activity" by Markus Neis, Swisscom (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-emerging-threats/2020/Malware/Ke3chang-TidePool/proc_creation_win_malware_ke3chang_tidepool.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 Ke3chang/TidePool Malware Activity",
entity page, dataset version ref-15632553f931, updated 2023-03-10T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/7b544661-69fc-419f-9a59-82ccc328f205 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 7b544661-69fc-419f-9a59-82ccc328f205, 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.