{
  "type": "attack-pattern",
  "spec_version": "2.1",
  "id": "attack-pattern--cc89ecbd-3d33-4a41-bcca-001e702d18fd",
  "created": "2020-01-24T14:52:25.589Z",
  "created_by_ref": "identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5",
  "revoked": false,
  "external_references": [
    {
      "source_name": "mitre-attack",
      "url": "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1546/010",
      "external_id": "T1546.010"
    },
    {
      "source_name": "Elastic Process Injection July 2017",
      "description": "Hosseini, A. (2017, July 18). Ten Process Injection Techniques: A Technical Survey Of Common And Trending Process Injection Techniques. Retrieved December 7, 2017.",
      "url": "https://www.endgame.com/blog/technical-blog/ten-process-injection-techniques-technical-survey-common-and-trending-process"
    },
    {
      "source_name": "AppInit Registry",
      "description": "Microsoft. (2006, October). Working with the AppInit_DLLs registry value. Retrieved July 15, 2015.",
      "url": "https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/197571"
    },
    {
      "source_name": "AppInit Secure Boot",
      "description": "Microsoft. (n.d.). AppInit DLLs and Secure Boot. Retrieved July 15, 2015.",
      "url": "https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn280412"
    },
    {
      "source_name": "TechNet Autoruns",
      "description": "Russinovich, M. (2016, January 4). Autoruns for Windows v13.51. Retrieved June 6, 2016.",
      "url": "https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902"
    }
  ],
  "object_marking_refs": [
    "marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168"
  ],
  "modified": "2025-10-24T17:49:24.008Z",
  "name": "AppInit DLLs",
  "description": "Adversaries may establish persistence and/or elevate privileges by executing malicious content triggered by AppInit DLLs loaded into processes. Dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) that are specified in the <code>AppInit_DLLs</code> value in the Registry keys <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Windows</code> or <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Windows</code> are loaded by user32.dll into every process that loads user32.dll. In practice this is nearly every program, since user32.dll is a very common library. (Citation: Elastic Process Injection July 2017)\n\nSimilar to Process Injection, these values can be abused to obtain elevated privileges by causing a malicious DLL to be loaded and run in the context of separate processes on the computer. (Citation: AppInit Registry) Malicious AppInit DLLs may also provide persistence by continuously being triggered by API activity. \n\nThe AppInit DLL functionality is disabled in Windows 8 and later versions when secure boot is enabled. (Citation: AppInit Secure Boot)",
  "kill_chain_phases": [
    {
      "kill_chain_name": "mitre-attack",
      "phase_name": "privilege-escalation"
    },
    {
      "kill_chain_name": "mitre-attack",
      "phase_name": "persistence"
    }
  ],
  "x_mitre_attack_spec_version": "3.2.0",
  "x_mitre_deprecated": false,
  "x_mitre_domains": [
    "enterprise-attack"
  ],
  "x_mitre_is_subtechnique": true,
  "x_mitre_modified_by_ref": "identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5",
  "x_mitre_platforms": [
    "Windows"
  ],
  "x_mitre_version": "1.2"
}