Detect Credentials in Registry in Elastic Security
Adversaries may search the Windows Registry on compromised systems for insecurely stored credentials. The Registry stores configuration data used by programs for automatic logons, saved passwords, and service credentials. Common registry credential locations include: Windows AutoLogon (HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DefaultPassword), PuTTY saved sessions (SOFTWARE\SimonTatham\Putty\Sessions), Outlook profiles (HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Outlook\Profiles), VNC passwords (SOFTWARE\{TightVNC,RealVNC,UltraVNC}), and SNMP community strings. TrickBot, APT32, IceApple, Valak, and StrelaStealer have all abused registry credential storage.
MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic
- Credential Access
- Technique
- T1552 Unsecured Credentials
- Sub-technique
- T1552.002 Credentials in Registry
- Canonical reference
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/002/
Elastic Detection Query
any where (
(
event.category == "registry" and
event.type in ("access", "query") and
registry.path : (
"*\\Winlogon\\DefaultPassword*",
"*\\Winlogon\\AutoAdminLogon*",
"*\\SimonTatham\\*",
"*\\PuTTY\\Sessions*",
"*\\Putty\\Sessions*",
"*\\Outlook\\Profiles*",
"*VNC*Password*",
"*RealVNC*",
"*TightVNC*",
"*UltraVNC*"
)
and not process.name : ("putty.exe", "OUTLOOK.EXE", "tvnserver.exe", "vncviewer.exe")
)
or
(
event.category == "process" and
event.type == "start" and
process.name : ("reg.exe", "powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe") and
(
process.args : ("*query*") and process.args : ("*/f*") and process.args : ("*password*", "*passwd*", "*pwd*")
or
process.command_line : (
"*Get-RegistryAutoLogon*",
"*Find-GPOPassword*",
"*Get-SiteListPassword*",
"*Get-CachedGPPPassword*"
)
or
(process.command_line : "*Get-ItemProperty*" and process.command_line : "*password*")
)
)
)Detects T1552.002 credential access via the Windows Registry. Covers direct registry reads of AutoLogon, PuTTY, Outlook, and VNC credential paths, as well as command-line tools (reg.exe, PowerShell/PowerSploit) performing bulk password searches across the registry hive.
Data Sources
Required Tables
False Positives & Tuning
- IT administrators running CyberArk, BeyondTrust, or Tenable credential discovery scans that legitimately enumerate registry credential stores as part of authorized PAM audits
- PuTTY, Outlook, or VNC applications accessing their own configuration registry keys during normal startup and session management
- PowerShell-based IT automation scripts using Get-ItemProperty to audit AutoLogon settings on domain-joined workstations during compliance checks
Other platforms for T1552.002
Testing Methodology
Validate this detection against 4 adversary techniques from Atomic Red Team. Each test below lists the behaviour to exercise and the telemetry you should expect to see. Executable commands and cleanup steps are available with Pro.
- Test 1Query Registry for AutoLogon Credentials
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: reg.exe with 'query' and 'DefaultPassword'. Security Event ID 4663 (Object Access) if registry auditing enabled for this key. The returned value (if present) is the plaintext password.
- Test 2Bulk Registry Password Search with reg.exe
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: reg.exe with 'query HKLM /f password /t REG_SZ /s'. The command will iterate through the entire HKLM hive, generating multiple registry access events. Output shows all registry paths containing 'password'.
- Test 3Query PuTTY Saved Session Credentials
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: reg.exe with 'query' and 'SimonTatham'. Registry access events for each PuTTY session key. Output includes HostName, UserName, and connection parameters for each saved session.
- Test 4PowerSploit Get-RegistryAutoLogon
Expected signal: Sysmon Event ID 1: powershell.exe with 'Get-RegistryAutoLogon'. Sysmon Event ID 7: PowerSploit module DLL loaded. Registry access to Winlogon key. PowerShell ScriptBlock Log Event ID 4104 with function content.
References (6)
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/002/
- https://pentestlab.blog/2017/04/19/stored-credentials/
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/security-policy-settings/network-access-do-not-allow-storage-of-passwords-and-credentials-for-network-authentication
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1552.002/T1552.002.md
- https://github.com/PowerShellMafia/PowerSploit/blob/master/Exfiltration/Get-GPPPassword.ps1
- https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/19/b/trickbot-adds-new-features-targets-energy-enterprises.html
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