Sigma rule: Registry Modification of MS-settings Protocol Handler

Rule

Title

Registry Modification of MS-settings Protocol Handler

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

frack113, Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)

Date

2021-12-20

Modified

2026-01-24

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_registry_modification_of_ms_setting_protocol_handler.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects registry modifications to the 'ms-settings' protocol handler, which is frequently targeted for UAC bypass or persistence.
Attackers can modify this registry to execute malicious code with elevated privileges by hijacking the command execution path.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_reg_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\reg.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'reg.exe'
selection_pwsh_img:
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\powershell.exe'
          - '\pwsh.exe'
    - OriginalFileName:
          - 'powershell.exe'
          - 'pwsh.dll'
selection_reg_cli:
    CommandLine|contains: 'add'
selection_pwsh_cli:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'New-ItemProperty'
        - 'Set-ItemProperty'
        - 'ni '
        - 'sp '
selection_cli_key:
    CommandLine|contains: '\ms-settings\shell\open\command'
condition: (all of selection_reg_* or all of selection_pwsh_*) and selection_cli_key

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.persistence
• attack.defense-impairment
• attack.t1548.002
• attack.t1546.001
• attack.t1112

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1112
• T1546.001
• T1548.002

Related rules

• 152f3630-77c1-4284-bcc0-4cc68ab2f6e7 (similar)

References

• https://thedfirreport.com/2021/12/13/diavol-ransomware/
• https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/25/f/water-curse.html

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_susp_registry_modification_of_ms_setting_protocol_handler.yml