Office Autorun Keys Modification

title: Office Autorun Keys Modification
id: baecf8fb-edbf-429f-9ade-31fc3f22b970
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
author: Victor Sergeev, Daniil Yugoslavskiy, Gleb Sukhodolskiy, Timur Zinniatullin, oscd.community, Tim Shelton, frack113 (split)
date: 2019-10-25
modified: 2025-10-17
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.t1547.001
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_office_root:
        TargetObject|contains:
            - '\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office'
            - '\Software\Microsoft\Office'
    selection_office_details:
        TargetObject|contains:
            - '\Word\Addins'
            - '\PowerPoint\Addins'
            - '\Outlook\Addins'
            - '\Onenote\Addins'
            - '\Excel\Addins'
            - '\Access\Addins'
            - 'test\Special\Perf'
    filter_main_empty:
        Details: '(Empty)'
    filter_main_known_addins:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\'
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe'
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\regsvr32.exe'
        TargetObject|contains:
            # Remove any unused addins in your environment from the filter
            # Known addins for excel
            - '\Excel\Addins\AdHocReportingExcelClientLib.AdHocReportingExcelClientAddIn.1\'
            - '\Excel\Addins\ExcelPlugInShell.PowerMapConnect\'
            - '\Excel\Addins\NativeShim\'
            - '\Excel\Addins\NativeShim.InquireConnector.1\'
            - '\Excel\Addins\PowerPivotExcelClientAddIn.NativeEntry.1\'
            # Known addins for outlook
            - '\Outlook\AddIns\AccessAddin.DC\'
            - '\Outlook\AddIns\ColleagueImport.ColleagueImportAddin\'
            - '\Outlook\AddIns\EvernoteCC.EvernoteContactConnector\'
            - '\Outlook\AddIns\EvernoteOLRD.Connect\'
            # - '\Outlook\Addins\GrammarlyAddIn.Connect' # Uncomment if you use Grammarly
            - '\Outlook\Addins\Microsoft.VbaAddinForOutlook.1\'
            - '\Outlook\Addins\OcOffice.OcForms\'
            - '\Outlook\Addins\\OneNote.OutlookAddin'
            - '\Outlook\Addins\OscAddin.Connect\'
            - '\Outlook\Addins\OutlookChangeNotifier.Connect\'
            - '\Outlook\Addins\UCAddin.LyncAddin.1'
            - '\Outlook\Addins\UCAddin.UCAddin.1'
            - '\Outlook\Addins\UmOutlookAddin.FormRegionAddin\'
            - 'AddinTakeNotesService\FriendlyName'
    filter_main_officeclicktorun:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\'
            - 'C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\ClickToRun\Updates\'
        Image|endswith: '\OfficeClickToRun.exe'
    filter_optional_avg:
        Image:
            - 'C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus\RegSvr.exe'
            - 'C:\Program Files\AVG\Antivirus\x86\RegSvr.exe'
        TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\Antivirus.AsOutExt\'
    filter_optional_avast:
        Image:
            - 'C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\RegSvr.exe'
            - 'C:\Program Files\Avast Software\Avast\x86\RegSvr.exe'
        TargetObject|contains: '\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\Addins\Avast.AsOutExt\'
    condition: all of selection_office_* 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