Windows Chrome Auto-Update Disabled via Registry

name: Windows Chrome Auto-Update Disabled via Registry
id: 619eac6c-0f03-4699-ae29-5f337877bcf9
version: 2
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: |
    The following analytic detects modifications to Windows registry values that disable Google Chrome auto-updates.
    Changes to values such as DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue = 1, Update{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96} = 0, UpdateDefault = 0, and AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes = 0 can prevent Chrome from receiving security updates.
    This behavior may indicate attempts to bypass update policies, maintain unauthorized extensions, or facilitate malware persistence.
    Monitoring these registry changes helps identify potential policy violations or malicious activity targeting browser security.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 13
search: |
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry

    where Registry.registry_path = "*\\Google\\Update*"
          AND
          (
            Registry.registry_value_name = "DisableAutoUpdateChecksCheckboxValue"
            Registry.registry_value_data = 0x00000001
          )
          OR
          (
            Registry.registry_value_name  IN (
              "AutoUpdateCheckPeriodMinutes",
              "Update{8A69D345-D564-463C-AFF1-A69D9E530F96}",
              "UpdateDefault"
            )
            Registry.registry_value_data = 0x00000000
          )

    by Registry.action Registry.dest Registry.process_guid Registry.process_id
       Registry.registry_hive Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_key_name
       Registry.registry_value_data Registry.registry_value_name
       Registry.registry_value_type Registry.status Registry.user Registry.vendor_product

    | `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)`
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `windows_chrome_auto_update_disabled_via_registry_filter`
how_to_implement: |
    To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting
    logs with the registry value name, registry path, and registry value data from your
    endpoints. If you are using Sysmon, you must have at least version 2.0 of the official
    Sysmon TA. https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/5709
known_false_positives: |
    IT administrators intentionally disabling auto-updates in managed environments for testing, compatibility, or deployment purposes.
references:
    - https://www.gdatasoftware.com/blog/2025/11/38298-learning-about-browser-hijacking
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") starthoursago=168  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
    message: Chrome Auto-update in $registry_path$ was disabled on $dest$
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 20
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Browser Hijacking
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1185
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1185/disable_chrome_update/disable_chrome_update.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog