
Summary
This detection rule identifies changes to Microsoft Office protected view registry keys that could indicate an attempt by an attacker to disable protected view features. Protected View is a security feature in Microsoft Office that opens files from potentially unsafe sources in a restricted environment. By monitoring specific registry changes under the key path '\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\Security\ProtectedView\', this rule can detect when an attacker modifies the DWORD values associated with enabling or disabling these critical security features. Significant DWORD changes indicating a malicious action could include settings such as `DisableAttachementsInPV` and `DisableInternetFilesInPV`, which, if set to '1', disable the protective measures provided by Office. The detection condition is activated when both the correct path is targeted and any relevant keys have their values changed, making it a critical defense tool against exploitation attempts that aim to lower security barriers in enterprise environments.
Categories
- Endpoint
- Windows
Data Sources
- Windows Registry
ATT&CK Techniques
- T1562.001
Created: 2021-06-08