Detection: Windows SnappyBee Create Test Registry

Updated Date: 2025-03-27 ID: 80402396-d78a-4c6e-ade5-7697ea670adf Author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk Type: TTP Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

The following analytic detects modifications to the Windows registry under SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Test, a location rarely used by legitimate applications in a production environment. Monitoring this key is crucial, as adversaries may create or alter values here for monitoring update of itself file path, updated configuration file, or system mark compromised. The detection leverages Sysmon Event ID 13 (Registry Value Set) to identify unauthorized changes. Analysts should investigate processes associated with these modifications, particularly unsigned executables or suspicious command-line activity, as they may indicate malware or unauthorized software behavior.

1
2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry WHERE Registry.registry_path = "*\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Test\\*" by Registry.action Registry.dest Registry.process_guid Registry.process_id Registry.registry_hive Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_key_name Registry.registry_value_data Registry.registry_value_name Registry.registry_value_type Registry.status Registry.user Registry.vendor_product 
3| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)` 
4| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
5| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
6| `windows_snappybee_create_test_registry_filter`

Data Source

Name Platform Sourcetype Source
Sysmon EventID 13 Windows icon Windows 'xmlwineventlog' 'XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational'

Macros Used

Name Value
security_content_ctime convert timeformat="%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S" ctime($field$)
windows_snappybee_create_test_registry_filter search *
windows_snappybee_create_test_registry_filter is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Annotations

- MITRE ATT&CK
+ Kill Chain Phases
+ NIST
+ CIS
- Threat Actors
ID Technique Tactic
T1112 Modify Registry Defense Evasion
Exploitation
DE.CM
CIS 10

Default Configuration

This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:

Setting Value
Disabled true
Cron Schedule 0 * * * *
Earliest Time -70m@m
Latest Time -10m@m
Schedule Window auto
Creates Notable Yes
Rule Title %name%
Rule Description %description%
Notable Event Fields user, dest
Creates Risk Event True
This configuration file applies to all detections of type TTP. These detections will use Risk Based Alerting and generate Notable Events.

Implementation

To successfully implement this search you need to be ingesting information on process that include the name of the process responsible for the changes from your endpoints into the Endpoint datamodel in the Registry node. Also make sure that this registry was included in your config files ex. sysmon config to be monitored.

Known False Positives

Administrators and third party software may create this registry entry.

Associated Analytic Story

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

a Test registry Entry [$registry_path$] was created on [$dest$].

Risk Object Risk Object Type Risk Score Threat Objects
dest system 60 No Threat Objects
user user 60 No Threat Objects

References

Detection Testing

Test Type Status Dataset Source Sourcetype
Validation ✅ Passing N/A N/A N/A
Unit ✅ Passing Dataset XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
Integration ✅ Passing Dataset XmlWinEventLog XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

Source: GitHub | Version: 2