Adversaries may configure system settings to automatically execute a program during system boot or logon to maintain persistence or gain higher-level privileges on compromised systems. Operating systems may have mechanisms for automatically running a program on system boot or account logon.(Citation: Microsoft Run Key)(Citation: MSDN Authentication Packages)(Citation: Microsoft TimeProvider)(Citation: Cylance Reg Persistence Sept 2013)(Citation: Linux Kernel Programming) These mechanisms may include automatically executing programs that are placed in specially designated directories or are referenced by repositories that store configuration information, such as the Windows Registry. An adversary may achieve the same goal by modifying or extending features of the kernel.

Since some boot or logon autostart programs run with higher privileges, an adversary may leverage these to elevate privileges.
Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
source_name: mitre-attack  url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547  external_id: T1547     source_name: Cylance Reg Persistence Sept 2013  description: Langendorf, S. (2013, September 24). Windows Registry Persistence, Part 2: The Run Keys and Search-Order. Retrieved April 11, 2018.  url: https://blog.cylance.com/windows-registry-persistence-part-2-the-run-keys-and-search-order     source_name: MSDN Authentication Packages  description: Microsoft. (n.d.). Authentication Packages. Retrieved March 1, 2017.  url: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/desktop/aa374733.aspx     source_name: Microsoft Run Key  description: Microsoft. (n.d.). Run and RunOnce Registry Keys. Retrieved November 12, 2014.  url: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa376977     source_name: Microsoft TimeProvider  description: Microsoft. (n.d.). Time Provider. Retrieved March 26, 2018.  url: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/desktop/ms725475.aspx     source_name: Linux Kernel Programming  description: Pomerantz, O., Salzman, P.. (2003, April 4). The Linux Kernel Module Programming Guide. Retrieved April 6, 2018.  url: https://www.tldp.org/LDP/lkmpg/2.4/lkmpg.pdf     source_name: TechNet Autoruns  description: Russinovich, M. (2016, January 4). Autoruns for Windows v13.51. Retrieved June 6, 2016.  url: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963902     