{
  "id": "12",
  "source": "sysmon",
  "category": "Registry",
  "name": "RegistryEvent (Object create/delete)",
  "priority": "P2",
  "applicable_version": "Sysmon with this event enabled",
  "last_reviewed": "2026-07-13",
  "definition": "Sysmon Event ID 12 records registry key and value create or delete operations.",
  "trigger_scenarios": "Sysmon emits this event when a configured RegistryEvent rule observes a registry object being created or deleted. Microsoft documents this event as useful for monitoring autostart locations and specific malware registry changes.",
  "key_fields": [
    {
      "field": "EventType",
      "explanation": "Identifies the registry object operation, such as CreateKey or DeleteKey, so analysts can distinguish new persistence material from cleanup activity."
    },
    {
      "field": "TargetObject",
      "explanation": "The registry path uses Sysmon's abbreviated root names such as HKLM, HKU, and HKCR. Paths under HKLM\\\\Software\\\\Microsoft\\\\Windows\\\\CurrentVersion\\\\Run or HKLM\\\\System\\\\CurrentControlSet\\\\Services are high-value persistence and service-control locations."
    },
    {
      "field": "Image / ProcessGuid",
      "explanation": "Identifies the process that created or deleted the registry object and provides a stable join key to Sysmon Event ID 1 for the original command line."
    }
  ],
  "false_positives": [
    "Approved administration, management agents, and deployment tools can generate this telemetry.",
    "Baseline expected hosts, signed binaries, and change windows before suppression."
  ],
  "related_event_ids": [
    "1"
  ],
  "attck_mapping": [
    {
      "technique_id": "T1112",
      "technique_name": "Modify Registry"
    }
  ],
  "detection_notes": "Alert when EventType=CreateKey or EventType=DeleteKey touches HKLM\\\\Software\\\\Microsoft\\\\Windows\\\\CurrentVersion\\\\Run, HKCU\\\\Software\\\\Microsoft\\\\Windows\\\\CurrentVersion\\\\Run, or HKLM\\\\System\\\\CurrentControlSet\\\\Services from an Image outside the approved software deployment baseline. Sysinternals documents Event 12 for registry object create/delete activity and uses HKLM/HKU/HKCR abbreviations, so these TargetObject values are directly observable. Creation in Run or Services can establish persistence, while deletion can remove forensic or defensive configuration; map this to T1112 Modify Registry and correlate ProcessGuid to Event 1 for the full command line.",
  "kql_snippet": "Sysmon\n| where EventID == 12\n| project TimeGenerated, Computer, Image, ProcessGuid",
  "spl_snippet": "index=sysmon EventCode=12 | table _time, host, Image, ProcessGuid",
  "sample_log": "UtcTime: 2026-07-13 01:00:00.000\nEventType: CreateKey\nTargetObject: HKLM\\\\Software\\\\Microsoft\\\\Windows\\\\CurrentVersion\\\\Run\\\\Updater\nImage: C:\\\\Users\\\\Public\\\\updater.exe\nProcessGuid: {REDACTED}",
  "source_url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysmon",
  "route": "/sysmon-events/12/",
  "canonical_url": "https://soceventlookup.com/sysmon-events/12/",
  "json_url": "/api/events/sysmon/12.json"
}