Add Debugger Entry To Hangs Key For Persistence

Hunt Hypothesis

The hypothesis detects adversaries modifying the “Hangs” registry key to inject a Debugger entry, enabling persistence by triggering malicious

Detection Rule

Sigma (Original)

title: Add Debugger Entry To Hangs Key For Persistence
id: 833ef470-fa01-4631-a79b-6f291c9ac498
status: test
description: Detects when an attacker adds a new "Debugger" value to the "Hangs" key in order to achieve persistence which will get invoked when an application crashes
references:
    - https://persistence-info.github.io/Data/wer_debugger.html
    - https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2019/09/20/beyond-good-ol-run-key-part-116/
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-07-21
modified: 2023-08-17
tags:
    - attack.persistence
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|contains: '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Error Reporting\Hangs\Debugger'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - This value is not set by default but could be rarly used by administrators
level: high

KQL (Azure Sentinel)

imRegistry
| where RegistryKey contains "\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Windows Error Reporting\\Hangs\\Debugger"

KQL (Microsoft 365 Defender)

DeviceRegistryEvents
| where RegistryKey contains "\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Windows Error Reporting\\Hangs\\Debugger"

Required Data Sources

False Positive Guidance

• This value is not set by default but could be rarly used by administrators

MITRE ATT&CK Context

• Tactic: Persistence

References

• https://persistence-info.github.io/Data/wer_debugger.html
• https://www.hexacorn.com/blog/2019/09/20/beyond-good-ol-run-key-part-116/
• SigmaHQ Rule