Malicious FalseFont Backdoor Run Key Persistence from AppData (via registry_set)

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
registry_set
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-10-21
Updated
2026-10-21

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Defense Evasion

  6. Cred Access

  7. Discovery

  8. Lateral Movement

  9. Collection

  10. C2

  11. Exfiltration

  12. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects a Run key persistence value pointing to a host.exe or broker.exe binary under an AppData path, the autostart mechanism the FalseFont backdoor uses to survive reboots. FalseFont is attributed to the Curious Serpens espionage actor, and running these implants from a user writable directory via a Run key is a clear sign of established backdoor persistence.

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Suspicious File Written to Startup Folder by DllHost COM Surrogate
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Malicious FalseFont Backdoor Run Key Persistence from AppData (via registry_set)
Pivot detection · T1547.001 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.