Sigma rule: Potential Persistence Via AppCompat RegisterAppRestart Layer

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-836be915688f, updated 2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Potential Persistence Via AppCompat RegisterAppRestart Layer
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2024-01-01
File
rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_persistence_app_cpmpat_layer_registerapprestart.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the setting of the REGISTERAPPRESTART compatibility layer on an application.
This compatibility layer allows an application to register for restart using the "RegisterApplicationRestart" API.
This can be potentially abused as a persistence mechanism.

Log source

product
windows
category
registry_set

Detection

selection:
    TargetObject|contains: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers\'
    Details|contains: 'REGISTERAPPRESTART'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Legitimate applications making use of this feature for compatibility reasons

Tags

  • attack.privilege-escalation
  • attack.persistence
  • attack.t1546.011

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/registry/registry_set/registry_set_persistence_app_cpmpat_layer_registerapprestart.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Potential Persistence Via AppCompat RegisterAppRestart Layer" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_persistence_app_cpmpat_layer_registerapprestart.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 Persistence Via AppCompat RegisterAppRestart Layer",
entity page, dataset version ref-836be915688f, updated 2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/b86852fb-4c77-48f9-8519-eb1b2c308b59 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule b86852fb-4c77-48f9-8519-eb1b2c308b59, 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.