{"id":"T1546.002","name":"Screensaver","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1546/002","tactics":["privilege-escalation","persistence"],"platforms":["Windows"],"live":true,"revoked":false,"deprecated":false,"revoked_by":null,"detection_strategies":[{"id":"DET0154","stix_id":"x-mitre-detection-strategy--d3a3919f-2f04-49f4-808e-1f88538ee02b","name":"Detect Screensaver-Based Persistence via Registry and Execution Chains","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0154","analytics":[{"id":"AN0441","stix_id":"x-mitre-analytic--86dbac4c-1cba-4056-84a1-604eefbb11ac","name":"Analytic 0441","description":"Unusual screensaver (.scr) executions correlated with recent registry modifications to HKCU\\Control Panel\\Desktop values such as SCRNSAVE.exe, ScreenSaveTimeout, and ScreenSaveActive. Detection focuses on PE image paths not consistent with known legitimate screensavers and triggered after user inactivity timeout.","url":"https://attack.mitre.org/detectionstrategies/DET0154#AN0441","platforms":["Windows"],"log_source_references":[{"name":"WinEventLog:Security","channel":"EventCode=4688","data_component":"DC0032","data_component_name":"Process Creation","log_source_slug":"wineventlog-security"},{"name":"WinEventLog:Sysmon","channel":"EventCode=13, 14","data_component":"DC0063","data_component_name":"Windows Registry Key Modification","log_source_slug":"wineventlog-sysmon"}],"mutable_elements":[{"field":"TimeWindow","description":"Adjust the user inactivity threshold that defines 'screensaver trigger window'; shorter timeouts may increase sensitivity."},{"field":"SuspiciousPathRegex","description":"Allow tuning based on expected paths for legitimate .scr files vs suspicious locations (e.g., user temp directories)."},{"field":"ParentProcessAllowList","description":"Allowlisting known legitimate initiators of .scr files (e.g., user32.dll context) to reduce false positives."},{"field":"RegistryEditorProcessName","description":"Monitor for registry modification performed by unusual processes (e.g., powershell.exe, reg.exe)."}],"live":true,"detection_strategies":["DET0154"],"techniques":["T1546.002"]}],"live":true,"version":"1.0","techniques":["T1546.002"]}],"sigma_rules":[{"id":"0fc35fc3-efe6-4898-8a37-0b233339524f","title":"Suspicious ScreenSave Change by Reg.exe","author":"frack113","status":"test","level":"medium","date":"2021-08-19","modified":"2022-06-02","description":"Adversaries may establish persistence by executing malicious content triggered by user inactivity.\nScreensavers are programs that execute after a configurable time of user inactivity and consist of Portable Executable (PE) files with a .scr file extension\n","references":["https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1546.002/T1546.002.md","https://www.welivesecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/eset-gazer.pdf"],"logsource":{"product":"windows","category":"process_creation"},"tags":["attack.persistence","attack.privilege-escalation","attack.t1546.002"],"path":"rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_reg_screensaver.yml","techniques":["T1546.002"],"cves":[]},{"id":"4aafb0fa-bff5-4b9d-b99e-8093e659c65f","title":"Writing Local Admin Share","author":"frack113","status":"test","level":"medium","date":"2022-01-01","modified":"2022-08-13","description":"Aversaries may use to interact with a remote network share using Server Message Block (SMB).\nThis technique is used by post-exploitation frameworks.\n","references":["https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1021.002/T1021.002.md#atomic-test-4---execute-command-writing-output-to-local-admin-share"],"logsource":{"product":"windows","category":"file_event"},"tags":["attack.privilege-escalation","attack.persistence","attack.lateral-movement","attack.t1546.002"],"path":"rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_writing_local_admin_share.yml","techniques":["T1546.002"],"cves":[]},{"id":"67a6c006-3fbe-46a7-9074-2ba3b82c3000","title":"Path To Screensaver Binary Modified","author":"Bartlomiej Czyz @bczyz1, oscd.community","status":"test","level":"medium","date":"2020-10-11","modified":"2021-11-27","description":"Detects value modification of registry key containing path to binary used as screensaver.","references":["https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1546.002/T1546.002.md","https://www.welivesecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/eset-gazer.pdf"],"logsource":{"product":"windows","category":"registry_event"},"tags":["attack.persistence","attack.privilege-escalation","attack.t1546.002"],"path":"rules/windows/registry/registry_event/registry_event_modify_screensaver_binary_path.yml","techniques":["T1546.002"],"cves":[]},{"id":"97aa2e88-555c-450d-85a6-229bcd87efb8","title":"Suspicious Screensaver Binary File Creation","author":"frack113","status":"test","level":"medium","date":"2021-12-29","modified":"2022-11-08","description":"Adversaries may establish persistence by executing malicious content triggered by user inactivity.\nScreensavers are programs that execute after a configurable time of user inactivity and consist of Portable Executable (PE) files with a .scr file extension\n","references":["https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1546.002/T1546.002.md"],"logsource":{"product":"windows","category":"file_event"},"tags":["attack.privilege-escalation","attack.persistence","attack.t1546.002"],"path":"rules/windows/file/file_event/file_event_win_creation_scr_binary_file.yml","techniques":["T1546.002"],"cves":[]}],"kev_cves":[],"_built":"2026-08-23 05:47 UTC","_attack_version":"19.2","_sigma_commit":"da9bb07d642a2826e89702445d32c795209ec108"}