Periodic Backup For System Registry Hives Enabled — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems). Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2024-07-01 / not supplied.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 8b5ee0eabfdd4dda0c8d24f78a7b18f561a910cceeb67eaa345300e5249dbeba

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: Periodic Backup For System Registry Hives Enabled
id: 973ef012-8f1a-4c40-93b4-7e659a5cd17f
status: test
description: |
    Detects the enabling of the "EnablePeriodicBackup" registry value. Once enabled, The OS will backup System registry hives on restarts to the "C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack" folder. Windows creates a "RegIdleBackup" task to manage subsequent backups.
    Registry backup was a default behavior on Windows and was disabled as of "Windows 10, version 1803".
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/installing-updates-features-roles/system-registry-no-backed-up-regback-folder
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2024-07-01
tags:
    - attack.collection
    - attack.t1113
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\Control\Session Manager\Configuration Manager\EnablePeriodicBackup'
        Details: 'DWORD (0x00000001)'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate need for RegBack feature by administrators.
level: medium

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Legitimate need for RegBack feature by administrators.

Source references

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/installing-updates-features-roles/system-registry-no-backed-up-regback-folder