IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates
will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the
current release documentation.
Microsoft Windows Defender Tampering
editMicrosoft Windows Defender Tampering
editIdentifies when one or more features on Microsoft Defender are disabled. Adversaries may disable or tamper with Microsoft Defender features to evade detection and conceal malicious behavior.
Rule type: eql
Rule indices:
- winlogbeat-*
- logs-endpoint.events.*
- logs-windows.*
Severity: medium
Risk score: 47
Runs every: 5 minutes
Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)
Maximum alerts per execution: 100
References:
- https://thedfirreport.com/2021/10/18/icedid-to-xinglocker-ransomware-in-24-hours/
- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/32236-enable-disable-microsoft-defender-pua-protection-windows-10-a.html
- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/104025-turn-off-core-isolation-memory-integrity-windows-10-a.html
- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/105533-enable-disable-windows-defender-exploit-protection-settings.html
- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/123792-turn-off-tamper-protection-microsoft-defender-antivirus.html
- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/51514-turn-off-microsoft-defender-periodic-scanning-windows-10-a.html
- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3569-turn-off-real-time-protection-microsoft-defender-antivirus.html
- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/99576-how-schedule-scan-microsoft-defender-antivirus-windows-10-a.html
Tags:
- Elastic
- Host
- Windows
- Threat Detection
- Defense Evasion
Version: 3 (version history)
Added (Elastic Stack release): 8.0.0
Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.2.0
Rule authors: Austin Songer
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Potential false positives
editLegitimate Windows Defender configuration changes
Investigation guide
edit## Config If enabling an EQL rule on a non-elastic-agent index (such as beats) for versions <8.2, events will not define `event.ingested` and default fallback for EQL rules was not added until 8.2, so you will need to add a custom pipeline to populate `event.ingested` to @timestamp for this rule to work.
Rule query
editregistry where event.type in ("creation", "change") and
(registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows
Defender\\PUAProtection" and registry.data.strings : ("0",
"0x00000000")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender Security
Center\\App and Browser protection\\DisallowExploitProtectionOverride"
and registry.data.strings : ("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path
: "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows
Defender\\DisableAntiSpyware" and registry.data.strings : ("1",
"0x00000001")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows
Defender\\Features\\TamperProtection" and registry.data.strings :
("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time
Protection\\DisableRealtimeMonitoring" and registry.data.strings :
("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time
Protection\\DisableIntrusionPreventionSystem" and
registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time
Protection\\DisableScriptScanning" and registry.data.strings : ("1",
"0x00000001")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Windows
Defender Exploit Guard\\Controlled Folder
Access\\EnableControlledFolderAccess" and registry.data.strings :
("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time
Protection\\DisableIOAVProtection" and registry.data.strings : ("1",
"0x00000001")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows
Defender\\Reporting\\DisableEnhancedNotifications" and
registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows
Defender\\SpyNet\\DisableBlockAtFirstSeen" and registry.data.strings
: ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows
Defender\\SpyNet\\SpynetReporting" and registry.data.strings : ("0",
"0x00000000")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows
Defender\\SpyNet\\SubmitSamplesConsent" and registry.data.strings :
("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path :
"HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time
Protection\\DisableBehaviorMonitoring" and registry.data.strings :
("1", "0x00000001"))
Threat mapping
editFramework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
-
Technique:
- Name: Impair Defenses
- ID: T1562
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1562/
Rule version history
edit- Version 3 (8.2.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
registry where event.type in ("creation", "change") and (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\PUAProtection" and registry.data.strings : ("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender Security Center\\App and Browser protection\\DisallowExploitProtectionOverride" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\DisableAntiSpyware" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Features\\TamperProtection" and registry.data.strings : ("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableRealtimeMonitoring" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableIntrusionPreventionSystem" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableScriptScanning" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\\Controlled Folder Access\\EnableControlledFolderAccess" and registry.data.strings : ("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableIOAVProtection" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Reporting\\DisableEnhancedNotifications" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\SpyNet\\DisableBlockAtFirstSeen" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\SpyNet\\SpynetReporting" and registry.data.strings : ("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\SpyNet\\SubmitSamplesConsent" and registry.data.strings : ("0", "0x00000000")) or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableBehaviorMonitoring" and registry.data.strings : ("1", "0x00000001"))
-
- Version 2 (8.1.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
registry where event.type in ("creation", "change") and (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\PUAProtection" and registry.data.strings : "0") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender Security Center\\App and Browser protection\\DisallowExploitProtectionOverride" and registry.data.strings : "1") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\DisableAntiSpyware" and registry.data.strings : "1") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Features\\TamperProtection" and registry.data.strings : "0") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableRealtimeMonitoring" and registry.data.strings : "1") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableIntrusionPreventionSystem" and registry.data.strings : "1") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableScriptScanning" and registry.data.strings : "1") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\\Controlled Folder Access\\EnableControlledFolderAccess" and registry.data.strings : "0") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableIOAVProtection" and registry.data.strings : "1") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Reporting\\DisableEnhancedNotifications" and registry.data.strings : "1") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\SpyNet\\DisableBlockAtFirstSeen" and registry.data.strings : "1") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\SpyNet\\SpynetReporting" and registry.data.strings : "0") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\SpyNet\\SubmitSamplesConsent" and registry.data.strings : "0") or (registry.path : "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableBehaviorMonitoring" and registry.data.strings : "1")
-