Windows windefend alerts on suspicious Windows Defender configuration changes (Disable* and SpyNet reporting)

Alerts on windefend Event 5007 when Defender configuration changes set features like anti-spyware, scanning, or SpyNet reporting to disabled values.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Service: windefend
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2022-12-06
Updated: 2026-07-31

Analysis Detection

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 flags windefend events where the Windows Defender antimalware platform configuration is changed to values associated with disabling protections or altering SpyNet reporting behavior. Attackers commonly reduce visibility or defensive controls by adjusting Defender settings, so these changes are high-signal for defense impairment attempts. It relies on windefend telemetry for configuration-change events (EventID 5007) and matches specific configured NewValue substrings indicating suspicious Defender features.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1685 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious Vulnerable Intel Ethernet Driver Load for BYOVD via SCATTERED SPIDER (via driver_load)

Malicious Defender Disable And Executable Exclusion Via Registry

Malicious UAC Disable via EnableLUA Registry Modification (via registry_set)

Malicious AMSI and ETW Patching via PowerShell Script

Malicious PowMix AMSI Bypass via amsiInitFailed

Suspicious ThrottleStop Driver Abuse for Defense Evasion in Ransomware Attacks

Malicious Disabling of Microsoft Defender Real-Time Protection via SystemSettingsAdminFlows by DeadLock Ransomware

Suspicious Security Software Uninstallation via WMIC Product Call Uninstall (Chaos Ransomware)

Suspicious Security Product Uninstall via wmic product call uninstall

Windows windefend alerts on suspicious Windows Defender configuration changes (Disable* and SpyNet reporting)

Pivot detection · T1685 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v1
No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

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

windows-defender-configuration-change-alerts-via-microsoft-defender-windefend-ev-801bd44f

title: Windows windefend alerts on suspicious Windows Defender configuration changes (Disable* and SpyNet reporting)
id: 4998591c-51b8-4af4-a36d-6726b22eb8a3
related:
  - id: 1321dc4e-a1fe-481d-a016-52c45f0c8b4f
    type: similar
  - id: a3ab73f1-bd46-4319-8f06-4b20d0617886
    type: similar
  - id: 91903aba-1088-42ee-b680-d6d94fe002b0
    type: similar
  - id: 801bd44f-ceed-4eb6-887c-11544633c0aa
    type: derived
status: stable
description: This rule flags windefend events where the Windows Defender antimalware platform configuration is changed to values associated with disabling protections or altering SpyNet reporting behavior. Attackers commonly reduce visibility or defensive controls by adjusting Defender settings, so these changes are high-signal for defense impairment attempts. It relies on windefend telemetry for configuration-change events (EventID 5007) and matches specific configured NewValue substrings indicating suspicious Defender features.
references:
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/troubleshoot-microsoft-defender-antivirus?view=o365-worldwide
  - https://bidouillesecurity.com/disable-windows-defender-in-powershell/#DisableAntiSpyware
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/windefend/win_defender_suspicious_features_tampering.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-12-06
modified: 2023-11-24
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: windefend
detection:
  selection:
    EventID: 5007
    NewValue|contains:
      - "\\Windows Defender\\DisableAntiSpyware "
      - "\\Windows Defender\\Scan\\DisableRemovableDriveScanning "
      - "\\Windows Defender\\Scan\\DisableScanningMappedNetworkDrivesForFullScan "
      - "\\Windows Defender\\SpyNet\\DisableBlockAtFirstSeen "
      - "\\Real-Time Protection\\SpyNetReporting "
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Administrator activity (must be investigated)
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

Convert

This rule as a query you can run. Uses no unlock credit.

SplunkSPL