Malicious Microsoft Defender Tampering via PowerShell Preference Cmdlets

ATT&CK techniques

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects the use of Add-MpPreference or Set-MpPreference to add scan exclusions or disable real time protection which the MUT-8694 npm and PyPI campaign runs to blind Microsoft Defender before deploying its payloads on Windows developer systems.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1685 — drag to rearrange

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Malicious Unsigned VIB Installation on ESXi Host via esxcli (via process_creation)

Suspicious In-Memory PowerShell Execution from Web Server via Automation Assembly (via image_load)

Malicious EDR Evasion Driver Load from AnyDesk Directory via k.sys (via image_load)

Malicious Zemana Vulnerable Driver Load for EDR Termination (via image_load)

Suspicious EDRKillShifter Vulnerable Driver Load from User Temp Directory (via image_load)

Malicious Microsoft Defender Tampering via PowerShell Preference Cmdlets

Pivot detection · T1685 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

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