Windows Registry: Modification of WDigest IsCredGuardEnabled to Disable Credential Guard

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 identifies registry activity where the value targeting IsCredGuardEnabled under the WDigest security provider path is modified. Disabling Credential Guard can weaken defenses by enabling credential-related behaviors attackers may leverage for persistence or credential access. It relies on Windows registry event telemetry capturing the TargetObject path that ends with '\IsCredGuardEnabled'.

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 Registry: Modification of WDigest IsCredGuardEnabled to Disable Credential Guard

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-registry-modification-of-wdigest-iscredguardenabled-to-disable-credentia-1a2d6c47

title: "Windows Registry: Modification of WDigest IsCredGuardEnabled to Disable Credential Guard"
id: 27461f97-7592-4c63-bb96-7df33819e02f
status: test
description: This rule identifies registry activity where the value targeting IsCredGuardEnabled under the WDigest security provider path is modified. Disabling Credential Guard can weaken defenses by enabling credential-related behaviors attackers may leverage for persistence or credential access. It relies on Windows registry event telemetry capturing the TargetObject path that ends with '\IsCredGuardEnabled'.
references:
  - https://teamhydra.blog/2020/08/25/bypassing-credential-guard/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/registry/registry_event/registry_event_disable_wdigest_credential_guard.yml
author: Roberto Rodriguez (Cyb3rWard0g), OTR (Open Threat Research), Huntrule Team
date: 2019-08-25
modified: 2021-11-27
tags:
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1112
logsource:
  category: registry_event
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    TargetObject|endswith: \IsCredGuardEnabled
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 1a2d6c47-75b0-45bd-b133-2c0be75349fd
    type: derived

Convert

This rule as a query you can run. Uses no unlock credit.

SplunkSPL