Sigma rule: Suspicious Debugger Registration Cmdline

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-c331fc6b254a, updated 2022-08-06T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Suspicious Debugger Registration Cmdline
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), oscd.community, Jonhnathan Ribeiro
Date
2019-09-06
Modified
2022-08-06
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_registry_install_reg_debugger_backdoor.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the registration of a debugger for a program that is available in the logon screen (sticky key backdoor).

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection1:
    CommandLine|contains: '\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\'
selection2:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'sethc.exe'
        - 'utilman.exe'
        - 'osk.exe'
        - 'magnify.exe'
        - 'narrator.exe'
        - 'displayswitch.exe'
        - 'atbroker.exe'
        - 'HelpPane.exe'
condition: all of selection*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.persistence
  • attack.privilege-escalation
  • attack.t1546.008

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_registry_install_reg_debugger_backdoor.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Suspicious Debugger Registration Cmdline" by Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), oscd.community, Jonhnathan Ribeiro (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_registry_install_reg_debugger_backdoor.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: Suspicious Debugger Registration Cmdline",
entity page, dataset version ref-c331fc6b254a, updated 2022-08-06T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/ae215552-081e-44c7-805f-be16f975c8a2 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule ae215552-081e-44c7-805f-be16f975c8a2, 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.