huntrule

Windows Defender Exclusions Added via Windefend (Event ID 5007)

Alerts on Windows Defender exclusion additions based on windefend Event ID 5007 configuration change events.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v2
Product
windows
Service
windefend
Author
Christian Burkard (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2021-07-06
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule flags Windows Defender configuration changes where the new value includes the Exclusions path under Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions. Attackers may use Defender exclusions to reduce detection coverage for malicious files, folders, or processes. The detection relies on windefend telemetry for Event ID 5007 and matches the content of the reported NewValue.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1685 — drag to rearrange
Malicious Microsoft Defender Tampering via PowerShell Preference Cmdlets
Suspicious Windows Defender Exclusion via Add-MpPreference (via process_creation)
Malicious Windows Defender Service Tampering via PowerShell (via process_creation)
Windows Defender Disabled via DisableAntiSpyware Registry Key
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
Windows Defender Exclusions Added via Windefend (Event ID 5007)
Pivot detection · T1685 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. 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.