Modification Of Wallpaper

name: Modification Of Wallpaper
id: accb0712-c381-11eb-8e5b-acde48001122
version: 9
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the modification of registry keys related to the desktop wallpaper settings. It leverages Sysmon EventCode 13 to identify changes to the "Control Panel\\Desktop\\Wallpaper" and "Control Panel\\Desktop\\WallpaperStyle" registry keys, especially when the modifying process is not explorer.exe or involves suspicious file paths like temp or public directories. This activity is significant as it can indicate ransomware behavior, such as the REVIL ransomware, which changes the wallpaper to display a ransom note. If confirmed malicious, this could signify a compromised machine and the presence of ransomware, leading to potential data encryption and extortion.
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 13
search: '`sysmon` EventCode =13  (TargetObject IN ("*\\Control Panel\\Desktop\\Wallpaper","*\\Control Panel\\Desktop\\WallpaperStyle") AND Image != "*\\explorer.exe") OR (TargetObject IN ("*\\Control Panel\\Desktop\\Wallpaper","*\\Control Panel\\Desktop\\WallpaperStyle") AND Details IN ("*\\temp\\*", "*\\users\\public\\*")) | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by action dest process_guid process_id registry_hive registry_path registry_key_name registry_value_data registry_value_name status user_id vendor_product | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `modification_of_wallpaper_filter`'
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting logs with the Image, TargetObject registry key, registry Details from your endpoints. If you are using Sysmon, you must have at least version 6.0.4 of the Sysmon TA.
known_false_positives: 3rd party tool may used to changed the wallpaper of the machine
references:
    - https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/05/a-closer-look-at-the-darkside-ransomware-gang/
    - https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/other-blogs/mcafee-labs/mcafee-atr-analyzes-sodinokibi-aka-revil-ransomware-as-a-service-what-the-code-tells-us/
    - https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2020/04/24/lockbit-ransomware-borrows-tricks-to-keep-up-with-revil-and-maze/
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: Wallpaper modification on $dest$
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Revil Ransomware
        - Rhysida Ransomware
        - LockBit Ransomware
        - BlackMatter Ransomware
        - Brute Ratel C4
        - Windows Registry Abuse
        - Black Basta Ransomware
        - Ransomware
        - ZOVWiper
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1491
    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/malware/revil/inf1/windows-sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog