Sigma rule: Add SafeBoot Keys Via Reg Utility

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-8fcb8422c9b9, updated 2024-03-19T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Add SafeBoot Keys Via Reg Utility
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-09-02
Modified
2024-03-19
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_add_safeboot.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of "reg.exe" commands with the "add" or "copy" flags on safe boot registry keys. Often used by attacker to allow the ransomware to work in safe mode as some security products do not

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\reg.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'reg.exe'
selection_safeboot:
    CommandLine|contains: '\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot'
selection_flag:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ' copy '
        - ' add '
condition: all of selection*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.defense-impairment
  • attack.t1685

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/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_add_safeboot.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Add SafeBoot Keys Via Reg Utility" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_add_safeboot.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: Add SafeBoot Keys Via Reg Utility",
entity page, dataset version ref-8fcb8422c9b9, updated 2024-03-19T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/d7662ff6-9e97-4596-a61d-9839e32dee8d (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule d7662ff6-9e97-4596-a61d-9839e32dee8d, 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.