Windows Credential Guard Registry Tampering Via CommandLine — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems). Source status: experimental; severity: high. Source dates: 2025-12-26 / not supplied.

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

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 0d661e7a9f797fab8e36e2c0c462a7b3dc152babe94c23b6e2d7d9b829115e55

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: Windows Credential Guard Registry Tampering Via CommandLine
id: c17d47b7-dcd6-4109-87eb-d1817bd4cbc9
related:
    - id: 73921b9c-cafd-4446-b0c6-fdb0ace42bc0
      type: similar
    - id: d645ef86-2396-48a1-a2b6-b629ca3f57ff
      type: similar
status: experimental
description: |
    Detects attempts to add, modify, or delete Windows Credential Guard related registry keys or values via command line tools such as Reg.exe or PowerShell.
    Credential Guard uses virtualization-based security to isolate secrets so that only privileged system software can access them.
    Adversaries may disable Credential Guard to gain access to sensitive credentials stored in the system, such as NTLM hashes and Kerberos tickets, which can be used for lateral movement and privilege escalation.
    The rule matches suspicious command lines that target DeviceGuard or LSA registry paths and manipulate keys like EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity, RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures, or LsaCfgFlags.
    Such activity may indicate an attempt to disable or tamper with Credential Guard, potentially exposing sensitive credentials for misuse.
references:
    - https://woshub.com/disable-credential-guard-windows/
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-deviceguard
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2025-12-26
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1685
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\powershell.exe'
              - '\pwsh.exe'
              - '\reg.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'PowerShell.EXE'
              - 'pwsh.dll'
              - 'reg.exe'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|contains:
            # add/modify
            - 'add '
            - 'New-ItemProperty '
            - 'Set-ItemProperty '
            - 'si '  # SetItem Alias
            # delete
            - 'delete '
            - 'del '
            - 'Remove-ItemProperty '
            - 'rp '
    selection_key_base:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '\Control\DeviceGuard'
            - '\Control\LSA'
            - 'Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard'
    selection_key_specific:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity'
            - 'RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures'
            - 'LsaCfgFlags'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_credential_guard_registry_tampering/info.yml

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unlikely

Source references

• https://woshub.com/disable-credential-guard-windows/
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/policy-csp-deviceguard