Modification of WDigest Security Provider
Identifies attempts to modify the WDigest security provider in the registry to force the user's password to be stored in clear text in memory. Windows 8.1+ and Server 2012 R2+ disable WDigest plaintext credential…
Description
Identifies attempts to modify the WDigest security provider in the registry to force the user's password to be stored in clear text in memory. Windows 8.1+ and Server 2012 R2+ disable WDigest plaintext credential caching by default, but setting UseLogonCredential to 1 re-enables it, causing LSASS to retain cleartext passwords for subsequent interactive logons. Adversaries abuse this to prepare for credential dumping from LSASS memory.
Detection logic
Its licence does not clear it for publishing here
Sunturai publishes a detection's own text where the licence it arrived under has been reviewed and permits it, and Elastic License 2.0 has not. The query as its source wrote it, its canonical form and the hash that pins this revision are in the workspace record.
Detection requirements
- Platform
- LinuxmacOSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| frsecure.com/compromised-credentials-response-playbook/ | Only this detection cites it |
| www.csoonline.com/article/567747/how-to-detect-and-halt-credential-theft-via-windows-wdigest.html | Only this detection cites it |
| www.elastic.co/security-labs/detect-credential-access | 15 |
| www.praetorian.com/blog/mitigating-mimikatz-wdigest-cleartext-credential-theft?edition=2019 | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- d703a5af-d5b0-43bd-8ddb-7a5d500b7da5
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Microsoft Defender XDRData Source: SysmonDomain: EndpointNoise: MediumOS: WindowsPerformance: NormalPlatform: WindowsResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Event Correlation (EQL)Tactic: Credential AccessUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3