T1546.002 Screensaver
sub-techniqueEnterpriseAdversaries may establish persistence by executing malicious content triggered by user inactivity. Screensavers are programs that execute after a configurable time of user inactivity and consist of Portable Executable (PE) files with a.scr file extension. The Windows screensaver application scrnsave.scr is located in <code>C:\Windows\System32\</code>, and <code>C:\Windows\sysWOW64\</code> on 64-bit Windows systems, along with screensavers included with base Windows installations. The following screensaver settings are stored in the Registry (<code>HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\</code>) and could be manipulated to achieve persistence: * <code>SCRNSAVE.exe</code> - set to malicious PE path * <code>ScreenSaveActive</code> - set to '1' to enable the screensaver * <code>ScreenSaverIsSecure</code> - set to '0' to not require a password to unlock * <code>ScreenSaveTimeout</code> - sets user inactivity timeout before screensaver is executed Adversaries can use screensaver settings to maintain persistence by setting the screensaver to run malware after a certain timeframe of user inactivity.
platforms
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tactics
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sub-technique of
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mitigations
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detected by (2)
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countered by (D3FEND)
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Detect
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NIST CSF 2.0 — areas of relevance (Protect / Detect)
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- PR.PSPlatform Securitystrong · backed by 5 of 9 mapped controls
- PR.DSData Securitymoderate · backed by 4 of 9 mapped controls
- DE.CMContinuous Monitoringmoderate · backed by 3 of 9 mapped controls
Derived from MITRE CTID (Apache-2.0) and the NIST 800-53 ↔ CSF crosswalk (public domain). Indicative relevance along the Protect/Detect axis — not a compliance assessment or coverage claim.
mitigating controls (9)
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software (1)
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Detected by (Sigma) (4)
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