Windows Impair Defenses Disable Auto Logger Session
The following analytic detects the disabling of an AutoLogger session or one of its providers, by identifying changes to the Registry values "Start" and "Enabled" part of the "\WMI\Autologger\" key path. It leverages…
Description
The following analytic detects the disabling of an AutoLogger session or one of its providers, by identifying changes to the Registry values "Start" and "Enabled" part of the "\WMI\Autologger\" key path. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Registry datamodel to monitor specific registry paths and values. This activity is significant as attackers and adversaries can leverage this in order to evade defense and blind EDRs and log ingest tooling. If confirmed malicious, this action could allow an attacker to conceal their activities, making it harder to detect further malicious actions and maintain persistence on the compromised endpoint.
Detection logic
Detection requirements
- Platform
- ContainersESXiIaaSLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- sysmon_eventid_13
Known benign triggers
- It is unusual to turn this feature off a Windows system since it is a default security control, although it is not rare for some policies to disable it. Although no false positives have been identified, use the provided filter macro to tune the search.
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 |
|---|---|
| app.any.run/tasks/45f5d114-91ea-486c-ab01-41c4093d2861/ | 4 |
| blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2021/02/lazyscripter-from-empire-to-double-rat/ | 11from 2 sources |
| github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/388942adbd9641f4dfdcf079d7efe9a75ec0ac43/atomics/T1685/T1685.yaml#L1201 | 10 |
| isc.sans.edu/diary/rss/28628 | 2 |
| learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/etw/configuring-and-starting-an-autologger-session | 3from 2 sources |
| thedfirreport.com/2021/10/18/icedid-to-xinglocker-ransomware-in-24-hours/ | 25from 3 sources |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- dc6a5613-d024-47e7-9997-ab6477a483d3
- Tagged by the source as
- Windows Defense Evasion TacticsWindows Registry AbuseEndpointendpointSplunk CloudSplunk EnterpriseSplunk Enterprise Securityendpoint
Licence
- Published under
- Apache License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
- Obtained under
- Apache-2.0Read the origin licence
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Oct 13, 2026
- Version
- 2