How do I install the Hunting For Startup Folder Persistence skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add gabrielmoreira/hunting-for-startup-folder-persistence in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Hunting For Startup Folder Persistence safe to use?

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Which AI agents work with Hunting For Startup Folder Persistence?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Hunting For Startup Folder Persistence free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free. This skill is licensed under Apache-2.

Who published Hunting For Startup Folder Persistence?

gabrielmoreira (@gabrielmoreira) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Hunting For Startup Folder Persistence by gabrielmoreira

Name: Hunting For Startup Folder Persistence
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: gabrielmoreira

Hunting For Startup Folder Persistence

Detects T1547.001 startup folder persistence by monitoring Windows startup directories for suspicious file creation, cross-referencing Autoruns entries, and running a Python watchdog script for real-time filesystem monitoring. Use when hunting for malware or implants that survive reboot via startup-folder placement, or when validating autoruns/EDR findings against known-good startup baselines.

gabrielmoreira Updated Sep 9, 2026 17 repo stars

File contents

Hunting for Startup Folder Persistence

Overview

Attackers use Windows startup folders for persistence (MITRE ATT&CK T1547.001 — Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder). Files placed in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup or C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup execute automatically at user logon. This skill scans startup directories for suspicious files, monitors for real-time changes using Python watchdog, and analyzes file metadata to detect persistence implants.

When to Use

When investigating security incidents that require hunting for startup folder persistence
When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques

Prerequisites

Python 3.9+ with watchdog, pefile (optional for PE analysis)
Access to Windows startup folders (user and all-users)
Windows Event Logs for Event ID 4663 correlation (optional)

Steps

Enumerate all files in user and system startup directories
Analyze file types, creation timestamps, and digital signatures
Flag suspicious file extensions (.bat, .vbs, .ps1, .lnk, .exe)
Check for recently created files (< 7 days) as potential implants
Monitor startup folders in real-time using watchdog FileSystemEventHandler
Correlate with known legitimate startup entries
Generate threat hunting report with T1547.001 MITRE mapping

Expected Output

JSON report listing all startup folder contents with risk scores, file metadata, and suspicious indicators
Real-time monitoring alerts for new file creation in startup directories

---name: hunting-for-startup-folder-persistencedescription: Detects T1547.001 startup folder persistence by monitoring Windows startup directories for suspicious file creation, cross-referencing Autoruns entries, and running a Python watchdog script for real-time filesystem monitoring. Use when hunting for malware or implants that survive reboot via startup-folder placement, or when validating autoruns/EDR findings against known-good startup baselines.license: Apache-2.0--- # Hunting for Startup Folder Persistence ## Overview Attackers use Windows startup folders for persistence (MITRE ATT&CK T1547.001 — Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder). Files placed in `%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup` or `C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup` execute automatically at user logon. This skill scans startup directories for suspicious files, monitors for real-time changes using Python watchdog, and analyzes file metadata to detect persistence implants. ## When to Use - When investigating security incidents that require hunting for startup folder persistence - When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain - When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type - When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques ## Prerequisites - Python 3.9+ with `watchdog`, `pefile` (optional for PE analysis) - Access to Windows startup folders (user and all-users) - Windows Event Logs for Event ID 4663 correlation (optional) ## Steps 1. Enumerate all files in user and system startup directories 2. Analyze file types, creation timestamps, and digital signatures 3. Flag suspicious file extensions (.bat, .vbs, .ps1, .lnk, .exe) 4. Check for recently created files (< 7 days) as potential implants 5. Monitor startup folders in real-time using watchdog FileSystemEventHandler 6. Correlate with known legitimate startup entries 7. Generate threat hunting report with T1547.001 MITRE mapping ## Expected Output - JSON report listing all startup folder contents with risk scores, file metadata, and suspicious indicators - Real-time monitoring alerts for new file creation in startup directories

Frequently asked questions