Removal of Potential COM Hijacking Registry Keys

Title: Removal of Potential COM Hijacking Registry Keys
Status: test
Description:Detects any deletion of entries in ".*\shell\open\command" registry keys. These registry keys might have been used for COM hijacking activities by a threat actor or an attacker and the deletion could indicate steps to remove its tracks.
References:
  -https://github.com/OTRF/detection-hackathon-apt29/issues/7
  -https://github.com/OTRF/ThreatHunter-Playbook/blob/2d4257f630f4c9770f78d0c1df059f891ffc3fec/docs/evals/apt29/detections/3.C.1_22A46621-7A92-48C1-81BF-B3937EB4FDC3.md
  -https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/launch
  -https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/shobjidl_core/nn-shobjidl_core-iexecutecommand
  -https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/shell/shell-and-managed-code
Author: Roberto Rodriguez (Cyb3rWard0g), OTR (Open Threat Research)
Date: 2020-05-02
modified:2025-10-07
Tags:

• -'attack.persistence'
• -'attack.defense-impairment'
• -'attack.t1112'

Logsource:

• product: windows
• category: registry_delete

Detection:
  selection:
    TargetObject|endswith: '\shell\open\command'
  filter_main_explorer:
    Image|endswith: 'C:\Windows\explorer.exe'
  filter_main_svchost:
    Image: 'C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe'
  filter_main_msiexec:
    Image:
      -'C:\Windows\System32\msiexec.exe'
      -'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\msiexec.exe'

  filter_main_generic_prorams:
    Image|startswith:
      -'C:\Program Files\'
      -'C:\Program Files (x86)\'

  filter_main_openwith:
    Image: 'C:\Windows\System32\OpenWith.exe'
  filter_optional_dropbox:
    Image|endswith: '\Dropbox.exe'
    TargetObject|contains: '\Dropbox.'
  filter_optional_wireshark:
    Image|endswith: '\AppData\Local\Temp\Wireshark_uninstaller.exe'
    TargetObject|contains: '\wireshark-capture-file\'
  filter_optional_peazip:
    Image|contains: 'peazip'
    TargetObject|contains: '\PeaZip.'
  filter_optional_everything:
    Image|endswith: '\Everything.exe'
    TargetObject|contains: '\Everything.'
  filter_optional_uninstallers:
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Windows\Installer\MSI'
  filter_optional_java:
    Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\'
    Image|endswith: '\installer.exe'
    TargetObject|contains: '\Classes\WOW6432Node\CLSID\{4299124F-F2C3-41b4-9C73-9236B2AD0E8F}'
  filter_optional_edgeupdate:
    Image|contains: '\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate\Install'
  filter_optional_avira:
    Image:
      -'C:\Program Files (x86)\Avira\Antivirus\'
      -'C:\Program Files\Avira\Antivirus\'

    TargetObject|endswith:
      -'\CLSID\{305CA226-D286-468e-B848-2B2E8E697B74}\Shell\Open\Command'
      -'\AntiVir.Keyfile\shell\open\command'

  filter_optional_installer_temp:
    - Image|contains|all:
      - 'AppData\Local\Temp'
      - '\setup.exe'
    - Image|contains|all:
      - '\Temp\is-'
      - '\target.tmp'
  filter_optional_ninite:
    Image|endswith: '\ninite.exe'
  filter_optional_discord:
    Image|endswith: '\reg.exe'
    TargetObject|endswith: '\Discord\shell\open\command'
  filter_optional_spotify:
    Image|endswith: '\Spotify.exe'
    TargetObject|endswith: '\Spotify\shell\open\command'
  filter_optional_eclipse:
    Image|endswith: 'C:\eclipse\eclipse.exe'
    TargetObject|contains: '_Classes\eclipse+'
  filter_optional_teamviewer:
    Image|contains|all:
      -'\Temp'
      -'\TeamViewer'

  condition:selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
Falsepositives:
  -Legitimate software (un)installations are known to cause false positives. Please add them as a filter when encountered
Level: medium