title: Dumping of Sensitive Hives Via Reg.EXE
id: fd877b94-9bb5-4191-bb25-d79cbd93c167
related:
    - id: 038cd51c-3ad8-41c5-ba8f-5d1c92f3cc1e
      type: obsolete
    - id: 4d6c9da1-318b-4edf-bcea-b6c93fa98fd0
      type: obsolete
status: test
description: Detects the usage of "reg.exe" in order to dump sensitive registry hives. This includes SAM, SYSTEM and SECURITY hives.
references:
    - https://www.slideshare.net/heirhabarov/hunting-for-credentials-dumping-in-windows-environment
    - https://eqllib.readthedocs.io/en/latest/analytics/aed95fc6-5e3f-49dc-8b35-06508613f979.html
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1003/T1003.md
    - https://www.wietzebeukema.nl/blog/windows-command-line-obfuscation
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1003.002/T1003.002.md#atomic-test-1---registry-dump-of-sam-creds-and-secrets
author: Teymur Kheirkhabarov, Endgame, JHasenbusch, Daniil Yugoslavskiy, oscd.community, frack113
date: 2019-10-22
modified: 2023-12-13
tags:
    - attack.credential-access
    - attack.t1003.002
    - attack.t1003.004
    - attack.t1003.005
    - car.2013-07-001
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\reg.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'reg.exe'
    selection_cli_flag:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - ' save '
            - ' export '
            - ' ˢave '
            - ' eˣport '
    selection_cli_hklm:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'hklm'
            - 'hk˪m'
            - 'hkey_local_machine'
            - 'hkey_˪ocal_machine'
            - 'hkey_loca˪_machine'
            - 'hkey_˪oca˪_machine'
    selection_cli_hive:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '\system'
            - '\sam'
            - '\security'
            - '\ˢystem'
            - '\syˢtem'
            - '\ˢyˢtem'
            - '\ˢam'
            - '\ˢecurity'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Dumping hives for legitimate purpouse i.e. backup or forensic investigation
level: high