Suspicious UAC Bypass via ms-settings Shell Command Hijack (via registry_set)

ATT&CK techniques

Priv Esc → Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
- T1548.002Bypass User Account Control
Defense Evasion
- T1548.002Bypass User Account Control
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects BlotchyQuasar hijacking the ms-settings protocol handler in the registry to run its payload with high integrity through computerdefaults.exe. Writing to the ms-settings shell open command key together with a DelegateExecute value is a well-known auto-elevation bypass. Legitimate applications do not modify this handler.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1548.002 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious UAC Weakening via ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin Disable by Winos (via registry_set)

Suspicious Fodhelper UAC Bypass ms-settings Command Registry Modification

Malicious UAC Bypass via HKCU Environment windir Hijack

Suspicious UAC Bypass via Fodhelper or Eventvwr Auto-Elevated Process

Malicious UAC Disable via EnableLUA Registry Modification via registry_set

Malicious UAC Bypass via ICMLuaUtil COM Elevation via process_creation

Malicious UAC Bypass via Eventvwr Execution Hijack via Process Creation

Malicious UAC Bypass via Fodhelper or ComputerDefaults Execution Hijack via Process Creation

Malicious FodHelper UAC Bypass via ms-settings Shell Command Hijack (via registry_set)

Suspicious UAC Bypass via ms-settings Shell Command Hijack (via registry_set)

Pivot detection · T1548.002 · 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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