Windows Registry Set: Disable Windows Credential Guard by Zeroing EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity

Alerts on registry value changes that zero Credential Guard/LSA configuration flags to disable virtualization-based secret protection.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1

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

Analysis Detection

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 flags registry value updates that attempt to disable Windows Credential Guard by setting DWORD values to 0 for specific DeviceGuard and LSA configuration keys. Disabling Credential Guard removes virtualization-based isolation for secrets, which can expose credential material that would otherwise be protected. Telemetry required includes Windows registry set events that capture the target registry path and the written DWORD value.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Registry Set: Disable Windows Credential Guard by Zeroing EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity

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-set-disable-windows-credential-guard-by-zeroing-enablevirtualiz-73921b9c

title: "Windows Registry Set: Disable Windows Credential Guard by Zeroing EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity"
id: e8eafcd1-785c-4739-a5ae-50f3691ee34c
related:
  - id: c17d47b7-dcd6-4109-87eb-d1817bd4cbc9
    type: similar
  - id: 73921b9c-cafd-4446-b0c6-fdb0ace42bc0
    type: derived
status: experimental
description: This rule flags registry value updates that attempt to disable Windows Credential Guard by setting DWORD values to 0 for specific DeviceGuard and LSA configuration keys. Disabling Credential Guard removes virtualization-based isolation for secrets, which can expose credential material that would otherwise be protected. Telemetry required includes Windows registry set events that capture the target registry path and the written DWORD value.
references:
  - https://woshub.com/disable-credential-guard-windows/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_credential_guard_disabled.yml
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2025-12-26
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685
logsource:
  category: registry_set
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    TargetObject|endswith:
      - \DeviceGuard\EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity
      - \DeviceGuard\LsaCfgFlags
      - \Lsa\LsaCfgFlags
    Details: DWORD (0x00000000)
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unlikely
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_credential_guard_disabled/info.yml
license: DRL-1.1

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