T1556.002sub-technique of T1556 Modify Authentication Process

Password Filter DLL

Windowsnothing on this site yetT1556.002 on attack.mitre.org

Adversaries may register malicious password filter dynamic link libraries (DLLs) into the authentication process to acquire user credentials as they are validated. Windows password filters are password policy enforcement mechanisms for both domain and local accounts. Filters are implemented as DLLs containing a method to validate potential passwords against password policies.

MITRE ATT&CK 19.2, retrieved 2026-09-12

If this is happening now

3

Checklists and playbooks to open while the alert is still live.

Playbook for this stage

Cloud account compromise

Impossible travel, an unrecognised inbox rule, or a reported invoice-fraud attempt.

how MITRE says to see it

Detect Malicious Password Filter DLL Registration

  • Detects suspicious registration of new password filter DLLs into the authentication process. Correlates registry modifications to LSASS Notification Packages with subsequent DLL creation and loading events.

what reduces it

  • M1028 Operating System Configuration. Ensure only valid password filters are registered. Filter DLLs must be present in Windows installation directory (C:\Windows\System32\ by default) of a domain controller and/or local computer with a corresponding entry in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\Notification Packages.

the rest of T1556

The description, detection analytics and mitigations are reproduced from MITRE ATT&CK, version 19.2, under its terms of use. The checklists, hunts, labs and everything else linked here are this site’s.