huntrule

Suspicious Run Key Masquerading as GoogleUpdate From Wrong Path via Registry Set (via registry_set)

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
registry_set
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-08-14
Updated
2026-08-28
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Defense Evasion

  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 Run key autostart entry masquerading as GoogleUpdate but pointing to a payload outside the legitimate Google update directory, a persistence and masquerading technique used by malware from MSIX installers per Red Canary. A trusted-looking name paired with the wrong file path is a high-confidence indicator of a malicious autorun disguised as software updater.

Reporting behind it

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Suspicious Run Key Masquerading as GoogleUpdate From Wrong Path via Registry Set (via registry_set)
Pivot detection · T1036.005 · 9 related

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