Sigma rule: Potential Persistence Attempt Via Run Keys Using Reg.EXE

Rule

Title

Potential Persistence Attempt Via Run Keys Using Reg.EXE

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)

Date

2021-06-28

Modified

2025-02-17

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_add_run_key.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects suspicious command line reg.exe tool adding key to RUN key in Registry

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection:
    Image|endswith: '\reg.exe'
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'reg'
        - ' add '
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
        - '\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
        - '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate software automatically (mostly, during installation) sets up autorun keys for legitimate reasons.
• Legitimate administrator sets up autorun keys for legitimate reasons.
• Discord

Tags

• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.persistence
• attack.t1547.001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1547.001

References

• https://app.any.run/tasks/9c0f37bc-867a-4314-b685-e101566766d7/
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/setupapi/run-and-runonce-registry-keys
• https://github.com/HackTricks-wiki/hacktricks/blob/e4c7b21b8f36c97c35b7c622732b38a189ce18f7/src/windows-hardening/windows-local-privilege-escalation/privilege-escalation-with-autorun-binaries.md

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_run_key.yml