Windows Credential Guard Registry Key Tampering via reg.exe or PowerShell Command Line

Alerts on PowerShell/Reg.exe commands that add/modify/delete DeviceGuard/LSA registry values tied to Credential Guard.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2025-12-26
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

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

What it detects

This rule flags process command lines using reg.exe or PowerShell (including common aliases) to add, modify, or delete registry entries under DeviceGuard or LSA paths. It specifically looks for manipulation of values tied to Credential Guard such as EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity, RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures, and LsaCfgFlags. Tampering with these settings can weaken virtualization-based security and expose sensitive credentials, so the rule relies on process creation telemetry and command-line content matching.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Credential Guard Registry Key Tampering via reg.exe or PowerShell Command Line

Pivot detection · T1685 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v1
No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

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

windows-process-command-line-tampering-of-credential-guard-registry-keys-deviceg-c17d47b7

title: Windows Credential Guard Registry Key Tampering via reg.exe or PowerShell Command Line
id: de15cc18-aa3c-4b3f-b7b1-625864bca596
related:
  - id: 73921b9c-cafd-4446-b0c6-fdb0ace42bc0
    type: similar
  - id: d645ef86-2396-48a1-a2b6-b629ca3f57ff
    type: similar
  - id: c17d47b7-dcd6-4109-87eb-d1817bd4cbc9
    type: derived
status: experimental
description: This rule flags process command lines using reg.exe or PowerShell (including common aliases) to add, modify, or delete registry entries under DeviceGuard or LSA paths. It specifically looks for manipulation of values tied to Credential Guard such as EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity, RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures, and LsaCfgFlags. Tampering with these settings can weaken virtualization-based security and expose sensitive credentials, so the rule relies on process creation telemetry and command-line content matching.
references:
  - https://woshub.com/disable-credential-guard-windows/
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-deviceguard
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_credential_guard_registry_tampering.yml
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2025-12-26
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_img:
    - Image|endswith:
        - \powershell.exe
        - \pwsh.exe
        - \reg.exe
    - OriginalFileName:
        - PowerShell.EXE
        - pwsh.dll
        - reg.exe
  selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - "add "
      - "New-ItemProperty "
      - "Set-ItemProperty "
      - "si "
      - "delete "
      - "del "
      - "Remove-ItemProperty "
      - "rp "
  selection_key_base:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - \Control\DeviceGuard
      - \Control\LSA
      - Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard
  selection_key_specific:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity
      - RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures
      - LsaCfgFlags
  condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
  - Unlikely
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_credential_guard_registry_tampering/info.yml
license: DRL-1.1

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