Windows Registry Delete of Credential Guard EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity or LsaCfgFlags

Flags deletion of Credential Guard/LSA-related registry values that may weaken virtualization-based secret protection.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1

Product: windows
Category: registry_delete
Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2025-12-26
Updated: 2026-07-30

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 identifies registry value deletions associated with Windows Credential Guard and LSA configuration, including Device Guard and LsaCfgFlags keys. Removing these values can be used to undermine virtualization-based security protections that help keep secrets isolated. It relies on Windows registry delete telemetry that reports the TargetObject path ending in specific Credential Guard-related registry value names.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Registry Delete of Credential Guard EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity or LsaCfgFlags

Pivot detection · T1685 · 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-registry-delete-of-credential-guard-enablevirtualizationbasedsecurity-or-d645ef86

title: Windows Registry Delete of Credential Guard EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity or LsaCfgFlags
id: ce46f106-cedf-4757-8611-e34341c80bdc
related:
  - id: c17d47b7-dcd6-4109-87eb-d1817bd4cbc9
    type: similar
  - id: d645ef86-2396-48a1-a2b6-b629ca3f57ff
    type: derived
status: experimental
description: This rule identifies registry value deletions associated with Windows Credential Guard and LSA configuration, including Device Guard and LsaCfgFlags keys. Removing these values can be used to undermine virtualization-based security protections that help keep secrets isolated. It relies on Windows registry delete telemetry that reports the TargetObject path ending in specific Credential Guard-related registry value names.
references:
  - https://github.com/DambergC/SaveFolder/blob/90e945eba80fae85f2d54b4616e05a44ec90c500/Cygate%20Installation%20tool%206.22/Script/OSD/OSDeployment-CredentialGuardDisable.ps1#L50
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/credential-guard/configure
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/registry/registry_delete/registry_delete_disable_credential_guard.yml
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2025-12-26
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685
logsource:
  category: registry_delete
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    TargetObject|endswith:
      - \DeviceGuard\EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity
      - \DeviceGuard\LsaCfgFlags
      - \DeviceGuard\RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures
      - \Lsa\LsaCfgFlags
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unlikely
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/registry/registry_delete/registry_delete_disable_credential_guard/info.yml
license: DRL-1.1

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