Windows Registry SIP Persistence via New Cryptography Provider Registration
Detects suspicious Windows registry writes that register a new SIP/Cryptography provider DLL for persistence or defense impairment.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- registry_set
- Author
- Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2022-07-21
- Updated
- 2026-07-30
ATT&CK techniques
Defense EvasionRecon
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 activity consistent with registering or updating a Security Information Provider (SIP) by targeting Cryptography provider and EncodingType keys. Attackers may use SIP changes to influence trust decisions or impede defense mechanisms by persisting malicious trust-related configuration. It relies on Windows registry set telemetry matching specific provider-related registry paths and SIP-related DLL string patterns, while excluding known legitimate provider details and suppressing events involving poqexec and CryptSIPDll.
Reporting behind it
- persistence-info.github.iohttps://persistence-info.github.io/Data/codesigning.html
- github.comhttps://github.com/gtworek/PSBits/tree/master/SIP
- specterops.iohttps://specterops.io/assets/resources/SpecterOps_Subverting_Trust_in_Windows.pdf
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_sip_persistence.yml
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: Windows Registry SIP Persistence via New Cryptography Provider Registration
id: 59939c0d-1af0-44e0-8c9b-5018005d209d
status: test
description: This rule flags registry activity consistent with registering or updating a Security Information Provider (SIP) by targeting Cryptography provider and EncodingType keys. Attackers may use SIP changes to influence trust decisions or impede defense mechanisms by persisting malicious trust-related configuration. It relies on Windows registry set telemetry matching specific provider-related registry paths and SIP-related DLL string patterns, while excluding known legitimate provider details and suppressing events involving poqexec and CryptSIPDll.
references:
- https://persistence-info.github.io/Data/codesigning.html
- https://github.com/gtworek/PSBits/tree/master/SIP
- https://specterops.io/assets/resources/SpecterOps_Subverting_Trust_in_Windows.pdf
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_sip_persistence.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-07-21
modified: 2023-08-17
tags:
- attack.persistence
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1553.003
logsource:
category: registry_set
product: windows
detection:
selection_root:
TargetObject|contains:
- \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography\Providers\
- \SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography\OID\EncodingType
- \SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\Providers\
- \SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Cryptography\OID\EncodingType
selection_dll:
TargetObject|contains:
- \Dll
- \$DLL
filter:
Details:
- WINTRUST.DLL
- mso.dll
filter_poqexec:
Image: C:\Windows\System32\poqexec.exe
TargetObject|contains: \CryptSIPDll
Details: C:\Windows\System32\PsfSip.dll
condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter*
falsepositives:
- Legitimate SIP being registered by the OS or different software.
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 5a2b21ee-6aaa-4234-ac9d-59a59edf90a1
type: derived