PowerShell Storing an Encoded Payload in the Registry (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1112Modify Registry
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1112Modify Registry
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects PowerShell writing a base64 or byte-array value into an HKCU registry key, the fileless persistence and staging behavior seen in Solarmarker and Yellow Cockatoo intrusions. Storing an encoded payload in the registry is a defense-evasion and persistence technique tracked in the Red Canary Threat Detection Report. Detecting this write surfaces a fileless payload being cached for later execution.

Reporting behind it

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PowerShell Storing an Encoded Payload in the Registry (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1112 · 9 related

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

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