Windows Registry Events Targeting SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\ (Snake Malware)
Alerts on Windows registry activity targeting the SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\n registry key suffix.
FreeReviewedSigma · High · v5
- Product
- windows
- Category
- registry_event
- Author
- Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2023-05-11
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
What it detects
This rule flags Windows registry events whose target object ends with SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\, a sensitive location described in relation to SNAKE malware. Attackers may modify or store data in this path to persist or conceal malicious activity. It relies on registry event telemetry that records the targeted registry object name for each event.
Reporting behind it
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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-registry-events-targeting-security-policy-secrets-for-snake-malware-pers-d0fa35db
title: Windows Registry Events Targeting SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\ (Snake Malware)
id: fc73afba-d6ce-4be4-922d-511337519c9c
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows registry events whose target object ends with SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\, a sensitive location described in relation to SNAKE malware. Attackers may modify or store data in this path to persist or conceal malicious activity. It relies on registry event telemetry that records the targeted registry object name for each event.
references:
- https://media.defense.gov/2023/May/09/2003218554/-1/-1/0/JOINT_CSA_HUNTING_RU_INTEL_SNAKE_MALWARE_20230509.PDF
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-emerging-threats/2023/Malware/SNAKE/registry_event_malware_snake_covert_store_key.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2023-05-11
tags:
- attack.persistence
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
category: registry_event
product: windows
detection:
selection:
TargetObject|endswith: SECURITY\Policy\Secrets\n
condition: selection
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: d0fa35db-0e92-400e-aa16-d32ae2521618
type: derived