Potential Suspicious Activity Using SeCEdit

SIGMA detection rule by Janantha Marasinghe · GPL-2.0

Detects potential suspicious behaviour using secedit.exe. Such as exporting or modifying the security policy

title: Potential Suspicious Activity Using SeCEdit
id: b1b4e91a-f98e-efe3-e440-4baf203a621a
related:
    - id: c2c76b77-32be-4d1f-82c9-7e544bdfe0eb
      type: derived
status: test
description: Detects potential suspicious behaviour using secedit.exe. Such as exporting or modifying the security policy
references:
    - https://blueteamops.medium.com/secedit-and-i-know-it-595056dee53d
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/secedit
author: Janantha Marasinghe
date: 2022-11-18
modified: 2022-12-30
tags:
    - attack.collection
    - attack.discovery
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.credential-access
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.execution
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1685.001
    - attack.t1547.001
    - attack.t1505.005
    - attack.t1556.002
    - attack.t1685
    - attack.t1574.007
    - attack.t1564.002
    - attack.t1546.008
    - attack.t1546.007
    - attack.t1547.014
    - attack.t1547.010
    - attack.t1547.002
    - attack.t1557
    - attack.t1082
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    process_creation:
        EventID: 4688
        Channel: Security
    selection_img:
        - NewProcessName|endswith: \secedit.exe
        - OriginalFileName: SeCEdit
    selection_flags_discovery:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - /export
            - /cfg
    selection_flags_configure:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - /configure
            - /db
    # filter:
    #     SubjectUserName|endswith: '$'  SubjectUserName is from event ID 4719 in the Windows Security log
    condition: process_creation and (selection_img and (1 of selection_flags_*))
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate administrative use
level: medium
ruletype: Sigma

[[ currentRule.title && currentRule.title.length > 60 ? currentRule.title.slice(0, 60) + '…' : currentRule.title ]]

038223e7-0419-432d-83a3-e25b003f3479

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Executable code, not a declarative rule

This submission is arbitrary [[ currentRule.format ? currentRule.format.toUpperCase() : '' ]] code, not a declarative detection rule — review it as you would any script before running it, and note that it cannot be safely aggregated or auto-executed alongside YARA/Sigma/Suricata/CRS rules.

Rejected pattern present

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Format & documentation suggestions

Not a security issue — this rule is valid and was accepted as-is. These are optional fields/conventions its own format recommends, mainly affecting its quality score and how well it documents itself for other reviewers.

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