title: Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) Related Registry Tampering Via CommandLine
id: 6225c53a-a96e-4235-b28f-8d7997cd96eb
related:
    - id: 8b7273a4-ba5d-4d8a-b04f-11f2900d043a
      type: similar
status: experimental
description: |
    Detects the tampering of Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) related registry values via command line tool reg.exe.
    HVCI uses virtualization-based security to protect code integrity by ensuring that only trusted code can run in kernel mode.
    Adversaries may tamper with HVCI to load malicious or unsigned drivers, which can be used to escalate privileges, maintain persistence, or evade security mechanisms.
references:
    - https://www.sophos.com/en-us/blog/sharpening-the-knife-gold-blades-strategic-evolution
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/hardware-security/enable-virtualization-based-protection-of-code-integrity
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2026-01-26
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1685
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith:
              - '\powershell.exe'
              - '\pwsh.exe'
              - '\reg.exe'
        - OriginalFileName:
              - 'PowerShell.EXE'
              - 'pwsh.dll'
              - 'reg.exe'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'add '
            - 'New-ItemProperty '
            - 'Set-ItemProperty '
            - 'si '  # SetItem Alias
    selection_cli_base:
        CommandLine|contains: '\DeviceGuard'
    selection_cli_key:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - 'EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity'
            - 'HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate system administration tasks that require disabling HVCI for troubleshooting purposes when certain drivers or applications are incompatible with it.
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_hvci_registry_tampering/info.yml
simulation:
    - type: atomic-red-team
      name: Disable Hypervisor-Enforced Code Integrity (HVCI)
      technique: T1562.001
      atomic_guid: 70bd71e6-eba4-4e00-92f7-617911dbe020

title: Windows Hypervisor Enforced Code Integrity Disabled
id: 8b7273a4-ba5d-4d8a-b04f-11f2900d043a
related:
    - id: 6225c53a-a96e-4235-b28f-8d7997cd96eb
      type: similar
status: test
description: |
    Detects changes to the HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity registry key and the "Enabled" value being set to 0 in order to disable the Hypervisor Enforced Code Integrity feature. This allows an attacker to load unsigned and untrusted code to be run in the kernel
references:
    - https://www.welivesecurity.com/2023/03/01/blacklotus-uefi-bootkit-myth-confirmed/
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/04e487c1828d76df3e834621f4f893ea756d5232/atomics/T1562.001/T1562.001.md#atomic-test-43---disable-hypervisor-enforced-code-integrity-hvci
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Anish Bogati
date: 2023-03-14
modified: 2024-07-05
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1685
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|endswith:
            - '\Control\DeviceGuard\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity'
            - '\Control\DeviceGuard\Scenarios\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity\Enabled'
            - '\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity'
        Details: 'DWORD (0x00000000)'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate system administration tasks that require disabling HVCI for troubleshooting purposes when certain drivers or applications are incompatible with it.
level: high
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/registry/registry_set/registry_set_deviceguard_hypervisorenforcedcodeintegrity_disabled/info.yml
simulation:
    - type: atomic-red-team
      name: Disable Hypervisor-Enforced Code Integrity (HVCI)
      technique: T1562.001
      atomic_guid: 70bd71e6-eba4-4e00-92f7-617911dbe020

title: Hypervisor Enforced Paging Translation Disabled
id: 7f2954d2-99c2-4d42-a065-ca36740f187b
status: test
description: |
    Detects changes to the "DisableHypervisorEnforcedPagingTranslation" registry value. Where the it is set to "1" in order to disable the Hypervisor Enforced Paging Translation feature.
references:
    - https://twitter.com/standa_t/status/1808868985678803222
    - https://github.com/AaLl86/WindowsInternals/blob/070dc4f317726dfb6ffd2b7a7c121a33a8659b5e/Slides/Hypervisor-enforced%20Paging%20Translation%20-%20The%20end%20of%20non%20data-driven%20Kernel%20Exploits%20(Recon2024).pdf
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2024-07-05
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1685
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|endswith: '\DisableHypervisorEnforcedPagingTranslation'
        Details: 'DWORD (0x00000001)'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high