huntrule

Suspicious Autorun Registry Key Pointing to User-Writable Path (via registry_set)

PremiumReviewedSigma · Medium · v1
Product
windows
Category
registry_set
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-06-20
Updated
2026-08-28
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects a write to a Run or RunOnce autostart key whose value references an executable located in a user-writable directory such as AppData, Temp, ProgramData or the Public folder. Malware commonly plants persistence in these keys so its dropper re-runs at logon while living outside trusted program paths. An autorun entry pointing into a staging directory is a classic persistence indicator.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1547.001 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious Internet Shortcut URL File Registered for Run Key Persistence (via registry_set)
Malicious Run Key Persistence Named SystemAgentService
Suspicious Run Key Persistence Pointing to ProgramData Executable (via registry_set)
Suspicious Run Key Persistence Pointing to WScript via PhantomVAI Loader (via registry_set)
Suspicious Run Key Persistence Named Updater
Suspicious Run Key Persistence Executing VBScript as WindowsSecurityCheck
Suspicious RunOnce Persistence Pointing to User AppData
Malicious FalseFont Backdoor Run Key Persistence from AppData (via registry_set)
Malicious Registry Run Key Persistence via AHealthDB by Stately Taurus
Suspicious Autorun Registry Key Pointing to User-Writable Path (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.