Enable Local Manifest Installation With Winget

Hunt Hypothesis

Detects changes to the AppInstaller (winget) policy. Specifically the activation of the local manifest installation, which allows a user to install new packages via custom manifests.

Detection Rule

Sigma (Original)

title: Enable Local Manifest Installation With Winget
id: fa277e82-9b78-42dd-b05c-05555c7b6015
status: test
description: Detects changes to the AppInstaller (winget) policy. Specifically the activation of the local manifest installation, which allows a user to install new packages via custom manifests.
references:
    - https://github.com/nasbench/Misc-Research/tree/b9596e8109dcdb16ec353f316678927e507a5b8d/LOLBINs/Winget
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2023-04-17
modified: 2023-08-17
tags:
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.stealth
logsource:
    product: windows
    category: registry_set
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\AppInstaller\EnableLocalManifestFiles'
        Details: 'DWORD (0x00000001)'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Administrators or developers might enable this for testing purposes or to install custom private packages
level: medium

KQL (Azure Sentinel)

imRegistry
| where RegistryKey endswith "\\AppInstaller\\EnableLocalManifestFiles" and RegistryValueData =~ "DWORD (0x00000001)"

KQL (Microsoft 365 Defender)

DeviceRegistryEvents
| where RegistryKey endswith "\\AppInstaller\\EnableLocalManifestFiles" and RegistryValueData =~ "DWORD (0x00000001)"

Required Data Sources

False Positive Guidance

• Administrators or developers might enable this for testing purposes or to install custom private packages

MITRE ATT&CK Context

• Tactic: Persistence

References

• https://github.com/nasbench/Misc-Research/tree/b9596e8109dcdb16ec353f316678927e507a5b8d/LOLBINs/Winget
• SigmaHQ Rule