Windows Defender Exploit Guard Tamper via Controlled Folder Access AllowedApplications or ProtectedFolders Changes

Alerts on Windefend EventID 5007 when Exploit Guard ProtectedFolders or AllowedApplications lists are modified.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Service: windefend
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2022-08-05
Updated: 2026-07-31

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 changes to Windows Defender Exploit Guard Controlled Folder Access configuration when applications are added/removed from AllowedApplications or folders are modified in ProtectedFolders. Attackers may tamper with these lists to weaken Controlled Folder Access and enable execution or access to otherwise blocked paths. It relies on windefend events indicating antimalware platform configuration changes, matching specific AllowedApplications and ProtectedFolders registry value paths in the event payload.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Defender Exploit Guard Tamper via Controlled Folder Access AllowedApplications or ProtectedFolders Changes

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-exploit-guard-tamper-via-protectedfolders-or-allowedapplication-a3ab73f1

title: Windows Defender Exploit Guard Tamper via Controlled Folder Access AllowedApplications or ProtectedFolders Changes
id: 91d21ac2-3104-47c7-9870-cd51e4de5bec
status: test
description: This rule flags changes to Windows Defender Exploit Guard Controlled Folder Access configuration when applications are added/removed from AllowedApplications or folders are modified in ProtectedFolders. Attackers may tamper with these lists to weaken Controlled Folder Access and enable execution or access to otherwise blocked paths. It relies on windefend events indicating antimalware platform configuration changes, matching specific AllowedApplications and ProtectedFolders registry value paths in the event payload.
references:
  - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/core-infrastructure-and-security/windows-10-controlled-folder-access-event-search/ba-p/2326088
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/windefend/win_defender_config_change_exploit_guard_tamper.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-08-05
modified: 2022-12-06
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: windefend
detection:
  allowed_apps_key:
    EventID: 5007
    NewValue|contains: \Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\Controlled Folder Access\AllowedApplications\
  allowed_apps_path:
    NewValue|contains:
      - \Users\Public\
      - \AppData\Local\Temp\
      - \Desktop\
      - \PerfLogs\
      - \Windows\Temp\
  protected_folders:
    EventID: 5007
    OldValue|contains: \Windows Defender\Windows Defender Exploit Guard\Controlled Folder Access\ProtectedFolders\
  condition: all of allowed_apps* or protected_folders
falsepositives:
  - Unlikely
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: a3ab73f1-bd46-4319-8f06-4b20d0617886
    type: derived

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