Suspicious Zloader Configuration Registry Key under HKCU Microsoft hcdg (via registry_set)

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 creation of the unusual hcdg subkey under HKCU Software Microsoft, a location Zloader uses to store its encrypted configuration and campaign state. The key name does not correspond to any legitimate Microsoft product and its placement under the trusted Microsoft branch is meant to blend in. Detection of this specific key exposes Zloader persistence and configuration storage.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1112 — drag to rearrange

Malicious Kong RAT Configuration Registry Keys

Suspicious SyncFuture GcServices Configuration Key Creation

Suspicious Winos4.0 Configuration Registry Keys under HKCU Console IpDate (via registry_set)

Suspicious Registry Import of Nimbus RAT Configuration via Regedit

Suspicious Task Manager Disabled via DisableTaskMgr Registry Value

Malicious UAC Disable via EnableLUA Registry Modification via registry_set

Suspicious Service Registration via Svchost netsvcs Registry Modification

Malicious Enabling of Restricted Admin Mode via Registry by UAT-8837

Suspicious Enabling of Remote Desktop via fDenyTSConnections Registry by DeadLock Ransomware

Suspicious Zloader Configuration Registry Key under HKCU Microsoft hcdg (via registry_set)

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.

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →