Windows Defender Exclusions Added via Windefend (Event ID 5007)

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 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

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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

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-exclusions-added-via-windefend-event-id-5007-1321dc4e

title: Windows Defender Exclusions Added via Windefend (Event ID 5007)
id: fe73f424-19eb-4243-9e7d-9e6adf16c553
status: stable
description: 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.
references:
  - https://twitter.com/_nullbind/status/1204923340810543109
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/windefend/win_defender_config_change_exclusion_added.yml
author: Christian Burkard (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2021-07-06
modified: 2022-12-06
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: windefend
detection:
  selection:
    EventID: 5007
    NewValue|contains: \Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Administrator actions
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 1321dc4e-a1fe-481d-a016-52c45f0c8b4f
    type: derived

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