Detect Windows Update Disabled from Registry
| Id | f1443a87-78d5-40c3-b051-f468f0f2def0 |
| Rulename | Detect Windows Update Disabled from Registry |
| Description | This analytic rule detects any registry value creation or modification of Windows Update registry keys to disable Windows Update. This could be an indication of defense evasion by an adversary on a compromised host. |
| Severity | Medium |
| Tactics | DefenseEvasion |
| Techniques | T1562 |
| Required data connectors | CiscoSecureEndpoint CrowdStrikeFalconEndpointProtection MicrosoftThreatProtection SentinelOne TrendMicroApexOne TrendMicroApexOneAma VMwareCarbonBlack |
| Kind | Scheduled |
| Query frequency | 1h |
| Query period | 1h |
| Trigger threshold | 0 |
| Trigger operator | gt |
| Source Uri | https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Malware Protection Essentials/Analytic Rules/WindowsUpdateDisabled.yaml |
| Version | 1.0.0 |
| Arm template | f1443a87-78d5-40c3-b051-f468f0f2def0.json |
// List of Windows Firewall registry keys to monitor
let windowsUpdateRegistryList = dynamic([
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WindowsUpdate',
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WindowsUpdate\\AU'
]);
_ASim_RegistryEvent
| where EventType in ('RegistryValueSet', 'RegistryKeyCreated')
| where RegistryKey has_any (windowsUpdateRegistryList)
| where RegistryValue has_any ('AUOptions', 'NoAutoUpdate') and RegistryValueData == '1'
| project
TimeGenerated,
DvcHostname,
ActorUsername,
ActorUsernameType,
ActingProcessId,
ActingProcessName,
ActingProcessCommandLine,
RegistryKey,
RegistryValue,
RegistryValueType,
RegistryValueData
| extend HostName = tostring(split(DvcHostname, '.')[0])
| extend DnsDomain = tostring(strcat_array(array_slice(split(DvcHostname, '.'), 1, -1), '.'))
| extend Username = iff(tostring(ActorUsernameType) == 'Windows', tostring(split(ActorUsername, '\\')[1]), ActorUsername)
| extend NTDomain = iff(tostring(ActorUsernameType) == 'Windows', tostring(split(ActorUsername, '\\')[0]), ActorUsername)
| extend Username = iff(tostring(ActorUsernameType) == 'UPN', tostring(split(ActorUsername, '@')[0]), Username)
| extend UPNSuffix = iff(tostring(ActorUsernameType) == 'UPN', tostring(split(ActorUsername, '@')[1]), '')
| extend RegHive = tostring(split(RegistryKey, '\\')[0]), RegKey = tostring(strcat_array(array_slice(split(RegistryKey, '\\'), 1, -1), '\\'))
relevantTechniques:
- T1562
entityMappings:
- fieldMappings:
- columnName: HostName
identifier: HostName
- columnName: DnsDomain
identifier: DnsDomain
- columnName: NTDomain
identifier: NTDomain
entityType: Host
- fieldMappings:
- columnName: Username
identifier: Name
- columnName: UPNSuffix
identifier: UPNSuffix
- columnName: NTDomain
identifier: NTDomain
entityType: Account
- fieldMappings:
- columnName: ActingProcessId
identifier: ProcessId
- columnName: ActingProcessCommandLine
identifier: CommandLine
entityType: Process
- fieldMappings:
- columnName: RegHive
identifier: Hive
- columnName: RegKey
identifier: Key
entityType: RegistryKey
- fieldMappings:
- columnName: RegistryValue
identifier: Name
- columnName: RegistryValueData
identifier: Value
- columnName: RegistryValueType
identifier: ValueType
entityType: RegistryValue
version: 1.0.0
triggerThreshold: 0
OriginalUri: https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Solutions/Malware Protection Essentials/Analytic Rules/WindowsUpdateDisabled.yaml
description: |
This analytic rule detects any registry value creation or modification of Windows Update registry keys to disable Windows Update. This could be an indication of defense evasion by an adversary on a compromised host.
requiredDataConnectors:
- connectorId: CrowdStrikeFalconEndpointProtection
dataTypes:
- CommonSecurityLog
- connectorId: MicrosoftThreatProtection
dataTypes:
- SecurityAlert
- connectorId: SentinelOne
dataTypes:
- SentinelOne_CL
- connectorId: VMwareCarbonBlack
dataTypes:
- CarbonBlackEvents_CL
- connectorId: CiscoSecureEndpoint
dataTypes:
- CiscoSecureEndpoint_CL
- connectorId: TrendMicroApexOne
dataTypes:
- TMApexOneEvent
- connectorId: TrendMicroApexOneAma
dataTypes:
- TMApexOneEvent
triggerOperator: gt
alertDetailsOverride:
alertDisplayNameFormat: Windows Update Disabled from Registry on {{HostName}}
alertDescriptionFormat: Windows Update Disabled from Registry {{RegKey}} on {{HostName}} by {{Username}}
eventGroupingSettings:
aggregationKind: singleAlert
id: f1443a87-78d5-40c3-b051-f468f0f2def0
queryFrequency: 1h
query: |
// List of Windows Firewall registry keys to monitor
let windowsUpdateRegistryList = dynamic([
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WindowsUpdate',
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows\\WindowsUpdate\\AU'
]);
_ASim_RegistryEvent
| where EventType in ('RegistryValueSet', 'RegistryKeyCreated')
| where RegistryKey has_any (windowsUpdateRegistryList)
| where RegistryValue has_any ('AUOptions', 'NoAutoUpdate') and RegistryValueData == '1'
| project
TimeGenerated,
DvcHostname,
ActorUsername,
ActorUsernameType,
ActingProcessId,
ActingProcessName,
ActingProcessCommandLine,
RegistryKey,
RegistryValue,
RegistryValueType,
RegistryValueData
| extend HostName = tostring(split(DvcHostname, '.')[0])
| extend DnsDomain = tostring(strcat_array(array_slice(split(DvcHostname, '.'), 1, -1), '.'))
| extend Username = iff(tostring(ActorUsernameType) == 'Windows', tostring(split(ActorUsername, '\\')[1]), ActorUsername)
| extend NTDomain = iff(tostring(ActorUsernameType) == 'Windows', tostring(split(ActorUsername, '\\')[0]), ActorUsername)
| extend Username = iff(tostring(ActorUsernameType) == 'UPN', tostring(split(ActorUsername, '@')[0]), Username)
| extend UPNSuffix = iff(tostring(ActorUsernameType) == 'UPN', tostring(split(ActorUsername, '@')[1]), '')
| extend RegHive = tostring(split(RegistryKey, '\\')[0]), RegKey = tostring(strcat_array(array_slice(split(RegistryKey, '\\'), 1, -1), '\\'))
severity: Medium
kind: Scheduled
status: Available
queryPeriod: 1h
name: Detect Windows Update Disabled from Registry
tactics:
- DefenseEvasion
tags:
- Schema: _ASim_RegistryEvent
SchemaVersion: 0.1.2