LSA PPL Protection Setting Modification via CommandLine — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems). Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2022-03-22 / 2026-03-13.

{
  "category": "process_creation",
  "product": "windows"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: fb8b2d4160202698683fded3d521cd2378d58a8fee84b3303b1644d59773df4d

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: LSA PPL Protection Setting Modification via CommandLine
id: 8c0eca51-0f88-4db2-9183-fdfb10c703f9
status: test
description: |
    Detects modification of LSA PPL protection settings via CommandLine.
    It may indicate an attempt to disable protection and enable credential dumping tools to access LSASS process memory.
references:
    - https://thedfirreport.com/2022/03/21/apt35-automates-initial-access-using-proxyshell/
    - https://github.com/shoober420/windows11-scripts/blob/38d83331738cd713ccb42f2c4557d17a27aefd98/Windows11Tweaks.bat#L1825
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-03-22
modified: 2026-03-13
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1689
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\reg.exe'
              - '\powershell.exe'
              - '\pwsh.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'reg.exe'
              - 'powershell.exe'
              - 'pwsh.dll'
    selection_cli_action:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - 'ControlSet'
            - '\Control\Lsa'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'Set-ItemProperty'
            - 'New-ItemProperty'
            - ' add '
    selection_key:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'IsPplAutoEnabled'
            - 'RunAsPPL'
            - 'RunAsPPLBoot'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: medium

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unlikely

Source references

• https://thedfirreport.com/2022/03/21/apt35-automates-initial-access-using-proxyshell/
• https://github.com/shoober420/windows11-scripts/blob/38d83331738cd713ccb42f2c4557d17a27aefd98/Windows11Tweaks.bat#L1825