DNS-over-HTTPS Enabled via Registry

Identifies when a user enables DNS-over-HTTPS. This can be used to hide internet activity or the process of exfiltrating data. With this enabled, an organization will lose visibility into data such as query type, response, and originating IP, which are used to determine bad actors.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.registry-*
logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*
endgame-*
logs-m365_defender.event-*
logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

Tags:

Domain: Endpoint
OS: Windows
Use Case: Threat Detection
Tactic: Defense Evasion
Data Source: Elastic Endgame
Data Source: Elastic Defend
Data Source: Sysmon
Data Source: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Data Source: SentinelOne

Version: 311

Rule authors:

Austin Songer

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

edit

registry where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "change" and
  (registry.path : "*\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Edge\\BuiltInDnsClientEnabled" and
  registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or
  (registry.path : "*\\SOFTWARE\\Google\\Chrome\\DnsOverHttpsMode" and
  registry.data.strings : "secure") or
  (registry.path : "*\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Mozilla\\Firefox\\DNSOverHTTPS" and
  registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001"))

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
Technique:
- Name: Modify Registry
- ID: T1112
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1112/
Technique:
- Name: Impair Defenses
- ID: T1562
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/

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