Adversaries may configure system settings to automatically execute a program during system boot or logon to maintain persistence or gain higher-level privileges on compromised systems. Operating systems may have mechanisms for automatically running a program on system boot or account logon.[1][2][3][4][5] These mechanisms may include automatically executing programs that are placed in specially designated directories or are referenced by repositories that store configuration information, such as the Windows Registry. An adversary may achieve the same goal by modifying or extending features of the kernel.
Since some boot or logon autostart programs run with higher privileges, an adversary may leverage these to elevate privileges.
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G1044 | APT42 | |
| S0651 | BoxCaon |
BoxCaon established persistence by setting the |
| S0567 | Dtrack |
Dtrack’s RAT makes a persistent target file with auto execution on the host start.[8] |
| S0084 | Mis-Type |
Mis-Type has created registry keys for persistence, including |
| S0083 | Misdat |
Misdat has created registry keys for persistence, including |
| S0653 | xCaon |
xCaon has added persistence via the Registry key |
This type of attack technique cannot be easily mitigated with preventive controls since it is based on the abuse of system features.
| ID | Name | Analytic ID | Analytic Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| DET0274 | Boot or Logon Autostart Execution Detection Strategy | AN0764 |
Correlation of registry key modification for Run/RunOnce with abnormal parent-child process relationships and outlier execution at user logon or system startup |
| AN0765 |
Correlates creation/modification of systemd service files or /etc/init.d scripts with outlier process behavior during boot |
||
| AN0766 |
Observes creation or modification of LaunchAgent/LaunchDaemon property list files combined with anomalous plist payload execution after user logon |