auditpol.exe

  • File Path: C:\windows\system32\auditpol.exe
  • Description: Audit Policy Program

Hashes

Type Hash
MD5 1B10370359F8B6CC355E34225C8BA6D4
SHA1 788912E66F51DE9876B8EAD3D97D32B5E2CCD3F2
SHA256 08009F932D5A3CA2D856AB5A40A804B3FBB0C5083D0F2C8EDCD17747A727A679
SHA384 8274A0384E974236BA868F0C508691A9FF8E918C98E82C7A091A3292AE26A1353848060EFE65D15481DE9A0201187106
SHA512 68A439DECC12DC862DF48D5D8D28859B1D4DD464ECA7B6FB9CB61B5A8BDFD56141A59ED7156A2E9DDCBB58D877176F3C555D8B85666D773848F64C8BF54F144E
SSDEEP 1536:aCmwg5fd1z0WouTB/8dAWZ8bZ0X5yunaJbdk56:aCev1wTo0yK888C85kc

Signature

  • Status: The file C:\windows\system32\auditpol.exe is not digitally signed. You cannot run this script on the current system. For more information about running scripts and setting execution policy, see about_Execution_Policies at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135170
  • Serial: ``
  • Thumbprint: ``
  • Issuer:
  • Subject:

File Metadata

  • Original Filename: AUDITPOL.EXE.MUI
  • Product Name: Microsoft Windows Operating System
  • Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
  • File Version: 6.3.9600.16384 (winblue_rtm.130821-1623)
  • Product Version: 6.3.9600.16384
  • Language: English (United States)
  • Legal Copyright: Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Possible Misuse

The following table contains possible examples of auditpol.exe being misused. While auditpol.exe is not inherently malicious, its legitimate functionality can be abused for malicious purposes.

Source Source File Example License
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_nt_resource_kit_auditpol_usage.yml title: Suspicious NT Resource Kit Auditpol Usage DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_nt_resource_kit_auditpol_usage.yml description: Threat actors can use an older version of the auditpol binary available inside the NT resource kit to change audit policy configuration to impair detection capability. This can be carried out by selectively disabling/removing certain audit policies as well as restoring a custom policy owned by the threat actor. DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_susp_nt_resource_kit_auditpol_usage.yml - https://github.com/3CORESec/MAL-CL/tree/master/Descriptors/Windows%202000%20Resource%20Kit%20Tools/AuditPol DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_sus_auditpol_usage.yml title: Suspicious Auditpol Usage DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_sus_auditpol_usage.yml description: Threat actors can use auditpol binary to change audit policy configuration to impair detection capability. This can be carried out by selectively disabling/removing certain audit policies as well as restoring a custom policy owned by the threat actor. DRL 1.0
sigma proc_creation_win_sus_auditpol_usage.yml Image\|endswith: '\auditpol.exe' DRL 1.0
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md Use the cleanup commands to restore some default auditpol settings (your original settings will be lost) MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md auditpol /set /category:”Account Logon” /success:disable /failure:disable MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md auditpol /set /category:”Logon/Logoff” /success:disable /failure:disable MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md auditpol /set /category:”Detailed Tracking” /success:disable MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md auditpol /set /category:”Account Logon” /success:enable /failure:enable MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md auditpol /set /category:”Detailed Tracking” /success:enable MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md auditpol /set /category:”Logon/Logoff” /success:enable /failure:enable MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md Clear the Windows audit policy using auditpol utility. This action would stop certain audit events from being recorded in the security log. MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md auditpol /clear /y MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary
atomic-red-team T1562.002.md auditpol /remove /allusers MIT License. © 2018 Red Canary

Additional Info*

*The information below is copied from MicrosoftDocs, which is maintained by Microsoft. Available under CC BY 4.0 license.

auditpol

Displays information about and performs functions to manipulate audit policies, including:

  • Setting and querying a system audit policy.

  • Setting and querying a per-user audit policy.

  • Setting and querying auditing options.

  • Setting and querying the security descriptor used to delegate access to an audit policy.

  • Reporting or backing up an audit policy to a comma-separated value (CSV) text file.

  • Loading an audit policy from a CSV text file.

  • Configuring global resource SACLs.

Syntax

auditpol command [<sub-command><options>]

Parameters

Sub-command Description
/get Displays the current audit policy. For more information, see auditpol get for syntax and options.
/set Sets the audit policy. For more information, see auditpol set for syntax and options.
/list Displays selectable policy elements. For more information, see auditpol list for syntax and options.
/backup Saves the audit policy to a file. For more information, see auditpol backup for syntax and options.
/restore Restores the audit policy from a file that was previously created by using auditpol /backup. For more information, see auditpol restore for syntax and options.
/clear Clears the audit policy. For more information, see auditpol clear for syntax and options.
/remove Removes all per-user audit policy settings and disables all system audit policy settings. For more information, see auditpol remove for syntax and options.
/resourceSACL Configures global resource system access control lists (SACLs). Note: Applies only to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information, see auditpol resourceSACL.
/? Displays help at the command prompt.

Additional References

MIT License. Copyright (c) 2020-2021 Strontic.