Windows Process Creation: Registry Tampering of DisableRestrictedAdmin in Lsa Key

Alerts when a process command line references LSA DisableRestrictedAdmin to change RestrictedAdmin behavior via the registry.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: frack113 (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2023-01-13
Updated: 2026-07-30

Analysis Detection

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 events where the command line contains both the LSA key path and the DisableRestrictedAdmin registry value, indicating an attempt to change RestrictedAdmin mode settings. RestrictedAdmin mode is intended to limit reuse of credentials over Remote Desktop connections, so modifying this value can undermine that protection. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry with the command line content matching the specified key and value strings.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1112 — drag to rearrange

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

Suspicious Enabling of Remote Desktop via fDenyTSConnections Registry by DeadLock Ransomware

Malicious Service DLL Hijack for Persistence via Lotus Blossom

Suspicious Loopback Proxy Server Configured via Registry (via registry_set)

Malicious WDigest Credential Caching Enabled via Registry (via registry_set)

Suspicious Remote Desktop Enabled via fDenyTSConnections Registry by Sandworm

Malicious Gh0stBins RAT Registry Marker HHClient

Suspicious PebbleDash C2 Configuration Stored Under WMI Security Key (via registry_set)

Suspicious WDigest UseLogonCredential Enablement for Plaintext Credential Theft (via registry_set)

Windows Process Creation: Registry Tampering of DisableRestrictedAdmin in Lsa Key

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.

windows-process-creation-registry-tampering-of-disablerestrictedadmin-in-lsa-key-28ac00d6

title: "Windows Process Creation: Registry Tampering of DisableRestrictedAdmin in Lsa Key"
id: a4572cb3-b0e4-4d28-b418-a90e986bb47b
related:
  - id: d6ce7ebd-260b-4323-9768-a9631c8d4db2
    type: similar
  - id: 28ac00d6-22d9-4a3c-927f-bbd770104573
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags process creation events where the command line contains both the LSA key path and the DisableRestrictedAdmin registry value, indicating an attempt to change RestrictedAdmin mode settings. RestrictedAdmin mode is intended to limit reuse of credentials over Remote Desktop connections, so modifying this value can undermine that protection. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry with the command line content matching the specified key and value strings.
references:
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/a8e3cf63e97b973a25903d3df9fd55da6252e564/atomics/T1112/T1112.md
  - https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/32905.remote-desktop-services-enable-restricted-admin-mode.aspx
  - https://thedfirreport.com/2022/05/09/seo-poisoning-a-gootloader-story/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_lsa_disable_restricted_admin.yml
author: frack113, Huntrule Team
date: 2023-01-13
modified: 2025-08-28
tags:
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1112
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: process_creation
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - \System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
      - DisableRestrictedAdmin
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

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