Suspicious PowerShell In Registry Run Keys

Hunt Hypothesis

Detects potential PowerShell commands or code within registry run keys

Detection Rule

Sigma (Original)

title: Suspicious PowerShell In Registry Run Keys
id: 8d85cf08-bf97-4260-ba49-986a2a65129c
status: test
description: Detects potential PowerShell commands or code within registry run keys
references:
    - https://github.com/frack113/atomic-red-team/blob/a9051c38de8a5320b31c7039efcbd3b56cf2d65a/atomics/T1547.001/T1547.001.md#atomic-test-9---systembc-malware-as-a-service-registry
    - https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/j/lv-ransomware-exploits-proxyshell-in-attack.html
    - https://github.com/HackTricks-wiki/hacktricks/blob/e4c7b21b8f36c97c35b7c622732b38a189ce18f7/src/windows-hardening/windows-local-privilege-escalation/privilege-escalation-with-autorun-binaries.md
author: frack113, Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-03-17
modified: 2025-07-18
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.t1547.001
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|contains:
            - '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run' # Also covers "RunOnce" and "RunOnceEx"
            - '\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
            - '\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\Run'
        Details|contains:
            - 'powershell'
            - 'pwsh '
            - 'FromBase64String'
            - '.DownloadFile('
            - '.DownloadString('
            - ' -w hidden '
            - ' -w 1 '
            - '-windowstyle hidden'
            - '-window hidden'
            - ' -nop '
            - ' -encodedcommand '
            - '-ExecutionPolicy Bypass'
            - 'Invoke-Expression'
            - 'IEX ('
            - 'Invoke-Command'
            - 'ICM -'
            - 'Invoke-WebRequest'
            - 'IWR '
            - 'Invoke-RestMethod'
            - 'IRM '
            - ' -noni '
            - ' -noninteractive '
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate admin or third party scripts. Baseline according to your environment
level: medium

KQL (Azure Sentinel)

imRegistry
| where (RegistryKey contains "\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run" or RegistryKey contains "\\Software\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run" or RegistryKey contains "\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run") and (RegistryValueData contains "powershell" or RegistryValueData contains "pwsh " or RegistryValueData contains "FromBase64String" or RegistryValueData contains ".DownloadFile(" or RegistryValueData contains ".DownloadString(" or RegistryValueData contains " -w hidden " or RegistryValueData contains " -w 1 " or RegistryValueData contains "-windowstyle hidden" or RegistryValueData contains "-window hidden" or RegistryValueData contains " -nop " or RegistryValueData contains " -encodedcommand " or RegistryValueData contains "-ExecutionPolicy Bypass" or RegistryValueData contains "Invoke-Expression" or RegistryValueData contains "IEX (" or RegistryValueData contains "Invoke-Command" or RegistryValueData contains "ICM -" or RegistryValueData contains "Invoke-WebRequest" or RegistryValueData contains "IWR " or RegistryValueData contains "Invoke-RestMethod" or RegistryValueData contains "IRM " or RegistryValueData contains " -noni " or RegistryValueData contains " -noninteractive ")

KQL (Microsoft 365 Defender)

DeviceRegistryEvents
| where (RegistryKey contains "\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run" or RegistryKey contains "\\Software\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run" or RegistryKey contains "\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Policies\\Explorer\\Run") and (RegistryValueData contains "powershell" or RegistryValueData contains "pwsh " or RegistryValueData contains "FromBase64String" or RegistryValueData contains ".DownloadFile(" or RegistryValueData contains ".DownloadString(" or RegistryValueData contains " -w hidden " or RegistryValueData contains " -w 1 " or RegistryValueData contains "-windowstyle hidden" or RegistryValueData contains "-window hidden" or RegistryValueData contains " -nop " or RegistryValueData contains " -encodedcommand " or RegistryValueData contains "-ExecutionPolicy Bypass" or RegistryValueData contains "Invoke-Expression" or RegistryValueData contains "IEX (" or RegistryValueData contains "Invoke-Command" or RegistryValueData contains "ICM -" or RegistryValueData contains "Invoke-WebRequest" or RegistryValueData contains "IWR " or RegistryValueData contains "Invoke-RestMethod" or RegistryValueData contains "IRM " or RegistryValueData contains " -noni " or RegistryValueData contains " -noninteractive ")

Required Data Sources

False Positive Guidance

• Legitimate admin or third party scripts. Baseline according to your environment

MITRE ATT&CK Context

• Tactic: Privilege Escalation
• Tactic: Persistence
• Technique: T1547.001 — T1547.001

References

• https://github.com/frack113/atomic-red-team/blob/a9051c38de8a5320b31c7039efcbd3b56cf2d65a/atomics/T1547.001/T1547.001.md#atomic-test-9---systembc-malware-as-a-service-registry
• https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/j/lv-ransomware-exploits-proxyshell-in-attack.html
• https://github.com/HackTricks-wiki/hacktricks/blob/e4c7b21b8f36c97c35b7c622732b38a189ce18f7/src/windows-hardening/windows-local-privilege-escalation/privilege-escalation-with-autorun-binaries.md
• SigmaHQ Rule