CND Practice Question: Incident Detection Response And Threat Prediction
An incident responder is investigating a Windows system compromise where an attacker established persistence. Which THREE Windows registry locations are frequently abused by adversaries for establishing auto-run persistence? (Choose THREE)
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Windows Run/RunOnce keys in HKLM and HKCU, along with Winlogon registry entries, are classic persistence vectors.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt\DefaultIcon
Why it's wrong here
This registry key controls file extension icon associations, not auto-run persistence.
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HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA\CurrentPerformance
Why it's wrong here
Performance data keys are dynamic and not used for persistent execution.
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Why this is correct
The HKLM Run key executes specified programs automatically for all users upon system startup.
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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Why this is correct
The HKCU Run key executes programs automatically whenever the specific user logs in.
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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Why this is correct
The Winlogon key can be leveraged to execute custom binaries (like Userinit or Shell) during logon.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CND practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CND exam.