Creation or Modification of Root Certificate

Last updated 7 days ago on 2025-08-12
Created 5 years ago on 2021-02-01

About

Identifies the creation or modification of a local trusted root certificate in Windows. The install of a malicious root certificate would allow an attacker the ability to masquerade malicious files as valid signed components from any entity (for example, Microsoft). It could also allow an attacker to decrypt SSL traffic.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Defense EvasionData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: SysmonData Source: Microsoft Defender for EndpointData Source: SentinelOneLanguage: eql
Severity
low
Risk Score
21
MITRE ATT&CK™

Defense Evasion (TA0005)(opens in a new tab or window)

False Positive Examples
Certain applications may install root certificates for the purpose of inspecting SSL traffic.
License
Elastic License v2(opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
winlogbeat-*logs-endpoint.events.registry-*logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*endgame-*logs-m365_defender.event-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*
Related Integrations

endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)

windows(opens in a new tab or window)

m365_defender(opens in a new tab or window)

sentinel_one_cloud_funnel(opens in a new tab or window)

Query
registry where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "change" and registry.value : "Blob" and
  registry.path :
    (
      "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "HKLM\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "HKLM\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\Root\\Certificates\\*\\Blob",
      "MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Microsoft\\SystemCertificates\\AuthRoot\\Certificates\\*\\Blob"
    ) and
  not process.executable : (
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*.exe",
          "?:\\Program Files\\*.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\bomgar-*\\*\\sra-pin.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\bomgar-*\\*\\bomgar-scc.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\CTES\\Ctes.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\CTES\\Components\\SNG\\AbtSngSvc.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\CTES\\Components\\SVC\\CtesHostSvc.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Lenovo\\Vantage\\Addins\\LenovoHardwareScanAddin\\*\\LdeApi.Server.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Logishrd\\LogiOptionsPlus\\Plugins\\64\\certmgr.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Platform\\*\\*.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Quest\\KACE\\modules\\clientidentifier\\clientidentifier.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\Sophos\\AutoUpdate\\Cache\\sophos_autoupdate1.dir\\*.exe",
          "?:\\ProgramData\\tychoncloud\\bin\\OVAL\\tvs.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\CCM\\CcmEval.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\CCM\\CcmExec.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\ccmsetup\\autoupgrade\\ccmsetup*.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\ccmsetup\\cache\\ccmsetup.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\ccmsetup\\ccmsetup.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Cluster\\clussvc.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\ImmersiveControlPanel\\SystemSettings.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Lenovo\\ImController\\PluginHost86\\Lenovo.Modern.ImController.PluginHost.Device.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Lenovo\\ImController\\Service\\Lenovo.Modern.ImController.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Sysmon.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\Sysmon64.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\UUS\\amd64\\MoUsoCoreWorker.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\UUS\\amd64\\WaaSMedicAgent.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\UUS\\Packages\\Preview\\amd64\\MoUsoCoreWorker.exe",
          "?:\\Windows\\WinSxS\\*.exe"
  ) and
  not
  (
    process.executable : (
      "?:\\Windows\\System32\\*.exe",
      "?:\\Windows\\SysWOW64\\*.exe"
    ) and
    not process.name : (
        "rundll32.exe", "mshta.exe", "powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "cmd.exe", "expand.exe",
        "regsvr32.exe", "cscript.exe", "wscript.exe", "wmiprvse.exe", "certutil.exe", "xcopy.exe"
    )
  )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Creation or Modification of Root Certificate in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(opens in a new tab or window).