Windows Process Creation: Disabling Security Logging via MiniNt Registry Key Set

Flags reg.exe or PowerShell commands that create/modify the MiniNt registry key to impair Windows event logging.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2025-04-09
Updated: 2026-07-31

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 flags process creation where an attacker modifies the Windows registry to add the MiniNt key, a configuration used to disable the Windows Event Log service. Disabling event log collection can help prevent security and application activity from being recorded for detection and investigation. It relies on process telemetry, including the process image name and command line arguments indicating a registry add targeting SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MiniNt, either via reg.exe or PowerShell.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Process Creation: Disabling Security Logging via MiniNt Registry Key Set

Pivot detection · T1112 · 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-creation-disable-security-event-logging-via-registry-minint-key-1a4bd6af

title: "Windows Process Creation: Disabling Security Logging via MiniNt Registry Key Set"
id: d0862882-7411-4923-b549-3a1e1eb00046
related:
  - id: 8839e550-52d7-4958-9f2f-e13c1e736838
    type: similar
  - id: 1a4bd6af-99ac-4466-b5b2-7b72b4a05462
    type: derived
status: experimental
description: This rule flags process creation where an attacker modifies the Windows registry to add the MiniNt key, a configuration used to disable the Windows Event Log service. Disabling event log collection can help prevent security and application activity from being recorded for detection and investigation. It relies on process telemetry, including the process image name and command line arguments indicating a registry add targeting SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MiniNt, either via reg.exe or PowerShell.
references:
  - https://www.hackingarticles.in/defense-evasion-windows-event-logging-t1562-002/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_event_logging_disable_via_key_minint.yml
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2025-04-09
tags:
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685.001
  - attack.t1112
  - car.2022-03-001
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection_reg_img:
    - Image|endswith: \reg.exe
    - OriginalFileName: reg.exe
  selection_reg_cmd:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - " add "
      - \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MiniNt
  selection_powershell_img:
    - Image|endswith:
        - \powershell.exe
        - \pwsh.exe
        - \powershell_ise.exe
    - OriginalFileName:
        - PowerShell.EXE
        - pwsh.dll
  selection_powershell_cmd1:
    CommandLine|contains:
      - "New-Item "
      - "ni "
  selection_powershell_cmd2:
    CommandLine|contains: \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MiniNt
  condition: all of selection_reg_* or all of selection_powershell_*
falsepositives:
  - Highly Unlikely
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

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