Detectionhighexperimental

Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) Related Registry Tampering Via CommandLine

Detects the tampering of Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) related registry values via command line tool reg.exe. HVCI uses virtualization-based security to protect code integrity by ensuring that only trusted code can run in kernel mode. Adversaries may tamper with HVCI to load malicious or unsigned drivers, which can be used to escalate privileges, maintain persistence, or evade security mechanisms.

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Launch
Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)Created Mon Jan 266225c53a-a96e-4235-b28f-8d7997cd96ebwindows
Log Source
WindowsProcess Creation
ProductWindows← raw: windows
CategoryProcess Creation← raw: process_creation

Events generated when a new process is spawned on the system. Covers command-line arguments, parent/child relationships, and process metadata.

Detection Logic
Detection Logic4 selectors
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\powershell.exe'
              - '\pwsh.exe'
              - '\reg.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'PowerShell.EXE'
              - 'pwsh.dll'
              - 'reg.exe'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'add '
            - 'New-ItemProperty '
            - 'Set-ItemProperty '
            - 'si '  # SetItem Alias
    selection_cli_base:
        CommandLine|contains: '\DeviceGuard'
    selection_cli_key:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity'
            - 'HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity'
    condition: all of selection_*
False Positives

Legitimate system administration tasks that require disabling HVCI for troubleshooting purposes when certain drivers or applications are incompatible with it.

Testing & Validation

Simulations

atomic-red-teamT1562.001
View on ART

Disable Hypervisor-Enforced Code Integrity (HVCI)

GUID: 70bd71e6-eba4-4e00-92f7-617911dbe020

Regression Tests

by Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
Positive Detection Test1 matchevtx

Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon