CurrentVersion Autorun Keys Modification

title: CurrentVersion Autorun Keys Modification
id: 20f0ee37-5942-4e45-b7d5-c5b5db9df5cd
related:
    - id: 17f878b8-9968-4578-b814-c4217fc5768c
      type: obsolete
status: test
description: Detects modification of autostart extensibility point (ASEP) in registry.
references:
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1547.001/T1547.001.md
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns
    - https://gist.github.com/GlebSukhodolskiy/0fc5fa5f482903064b448890db1eaf9d # a list with registry keys
    - https://oddvar.moe/2018/03/21/persistence-using-runonceex-hidden-from-autoruns-exe/
author: Victor Sergeev, Daniil Yugoslavskiy, Gleb Sukhodolskiy, Timur Zinniatullin, oscd.community, Tim Shelton, frack113 (split)
date: 2019-10-25
modified: 2025-10-22
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.t1547.001
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_current_version_base:
        TargetObject|contains: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion'
    selection_current_version_keys:
        TargetObject|contains:
            - '\ShellServiceObjectDelayLoad'
            - '\Run\'
            - '\RunOnce\'
            - '\RunOnceEx\'
            - '\RunServices\'
            - '\RunServicesOnce\'
            - '\Policies\System\Shell'
            - '\Policies\Explorer\Run'
            - '\Group Policy\Scripts\Startup'
            - '\Group Policy\Scripts\Shutdown'
            - '\Group Policy\Scripts\Logon'
            - '\Group Policy\Scripts\Logoff'
            - '\Explorer\ShellServiceObjects'
            - '\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers'
            - '\Explorer\ShellExecuteHooks'
            - '\Explorer\SharedTaskScheduler'
            - '\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects'
            - '\Authentication\PLAP Providers'
            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers'
            - '\Authentication\Credential Provider Filters'
    filter_main_generic_all:
        - Details: '(Empty)'
        - TargetObject|endswith: '\NgcFirst\ConsecutiveSwitchCount'
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\Update\OneDriveSetup.exe' # C:\Users\*\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\Update\OneDriveSetup.exe
              - '\AppData\Roaming\Spotify\Spotify.exe'
              - '\AppData\Local\WebEx\WebexHost.exe'
        - Image:
              - 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\devicecensus.exe'
              - 'C:\Windows\system32\winsat.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\StandaloneUpdater\OneDriveSetup.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\StandaloneUpdater\OneDriveSetup.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft OneDrive\Update\OneDriveSetup.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft OneDrive\Update\OneDriveSetup.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\integration\Addons\OneDriveSetup.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\integration\Addons\OneDriveSetup.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files\KeePass Password Safe 2\ShInstUtil.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files\Everything\Everything.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\integration\integrator.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\integration\integrator.exe'
    filter_main_null:
        Details: null
    filter_main_logonui:
        Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\LogonUI.exe'
        TargetObject|contains:
            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers\{D6886603-9D2F-4EB2-B667-1971041FA96B}\'  # PIN
            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers\{BEC09223-B018-416D-A0AC-523971B639F5}\'  # fingerprint
            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers\{8AF662BF-65A0-4D0A-A540-A338A999D36F}\'  # facial recognizion
            - '\Authentication\Credential Providers\{27FBDB57-B613-4AF2-9D7E-4FA7A66C21AD}\'  # Trusted Signal (Phone proximity, Network location)
    filter_main_edge:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Install\'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe'
    filter_main_defender:
        Image: 'C:\Program Files\Windows Defender\MsMpEng.exe'
    filter_main_teams:
        Image|endswith: '\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe'
        Details|contains: '\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe --processStart '
    filter_main_ctfmon:
        Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\userinit.exe'
        Details: 'ctfmon.exe /n'
    filter_optional_dropbox:
        Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\regsvr32.exe'
        TargetObject|contains: 'DropboxExt'
        Details|endswith: 'A251-47B7-93E1-CDD82E34AF8B}'
    filter_optional_opera_1:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Opera Browser Assistant'
        Details: 'C:\Program Files\Opera\assistant\browser_assistant.exe'
    filter_optional_opera_2:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Opera Stable'
        Details:
            - 'C:\Program Files\Opera\launcher.exe'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Opera\launcher.exe'
    filter_optional_itunes:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\iTunesHelper'
        Details: '"C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunesHelper.exe"'
    filter_optional_zoom:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\zoommsirepair'
        Details: '"C:\Program Files\Zoom\bin\installer.exe" /repair'
    filter_optional_greenshot:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Greenshot'
        Details: 'C:\Program Files\Greenshot\Greenshot.exe'
    filter_optional_googledrive1:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\GoogleDriveFS'
        Details|startswith: 'C:\Program Files\Google\Drive File Stream\'
        Details|contains: '\GoogleDriveFS.exe'
    filter_optional_googledrive2:
        TargetObject|contains: 'GoogleDrive'
        Details:
            - '{CFE8B367-77A7-41D7-9C90-75D16D7DC6B6}'
            - '{A8E52322-8734-481D-A7E2-27B309EF8D56}'
            - '{C973DA94-CBDF-4E77-81D1-E5B794FBD146}'
            - '{51EF1569-67EE-4AD6-9646-E726C3FFC8A2}'
    filter_optional_onedrive:
        Details|startswith:
            - 'C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /q /c rmdir /s /q "C:\Users\'
            - 'C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /q /c del /q "C:\Users\'
        Details|contains: '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\'
    filter_optional_python:
        TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\{'
        Details|contains|all:
            - '\AppData\Local\Package Cache\{'
            - '}\python-'
        Details|endswith: '.exe" /burn.runonce'
    filter_optional_officeclicktorun:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\'
        Image|endswith: '\OfficeClickToRun.exe'
    filter_optional_teams:
        Image|endswith: '\Microsoft\Teams\current\Teams.exe'
        Details|contains: '\Microsoft\Teams\Update.exe --processStart'
    filter_optional_AVG_setup:
        Image|contains:
            - 'C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus\Setup\'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\Antivirus\Setup\'
            - '\instup.exe'
        Details:
            - '"C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus\AvLaunch.exe" /gui'
            - '"C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\Antivirus\AvLaunch.exe" /gui'
            - '{472083B0-C522-11CF-8763-00608CC02F24}'
            - '{472083B1-C522-11CF-8763-00608CC02F24}'
    filter_optional_Avast:
        Image|contains:
            - 'C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\Setup\'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Avast Software\Avast\Setup\'
            - '\instup.exe'
        Details:
            - '"C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\AvLaunch.exe" /gui'
            - '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Avast Software\Avast\AvLaunch.exe" /gui'
    filter_optional_AVG_avgtoolsvc:
        Image:
            - 'C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus\avgToolsSvc.exe'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\AVG\Antivirus\avgToolsSvc.exe'
        TargetObject|contains: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartupApproved\Run\'
        Details: 'Binary Data'
    filter_optional_aurora_dashboard:
        Image|endswith:
            - '\aurora-agent-64.exe'
            - '\aurora-agent.exe'
        TargetObject|endswith: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\aurora-dashboard'
        Details: 'C:\Program Files\Aurora-Agent\tools\aurora-dashboard.exe'
    filter_optional_everything:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Everything'
        Details|endswith: '\Everything\Everything.exe" -startup' # We remove the starting part as it could be installed in different locations
    filter_optional_discord:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Discord'
        Details|endswith: '\Discord\Update.exe --processStart Discord.exe'
    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate software automatically (mostly, during installation) sets up autorun keys for legitimate reason
    - Legitimate administrator sets up autorun keys for legitimate reason
level: medium