Windows windefend: Microsoft Defender malware and PUA scanning disabled (Event ID 5010)

Flags Windows Defender disabling malware and PUA scanning using Windefend Event ID 5010.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Service: windefend
Author: Ján Trenčanský, frack113 (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2020-07-28
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 Windows Defender events where scanning for malware and other potentially unwanted software is disabled, based on windefend Event ID 5010. Attackers may attempt to reduce endpoint security coverage to improve persistence and evade detection. Telemetry relies on Windows Defender/WDATP windefend logs that record the scanning-disable action.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1685 — drag to rearrange

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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

Windows windefend: Microsoft Defender malware and PUA scanning disabled (Event ID 5010)

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-malware-and-pua-scanning-disabled-event-id-5010-bc275be9

title: "Windows windefend: Microsoft Defender malware and PUA scanning disabled (Event ID 5010)"
id: 2e714739-a9d9-4504-a304-18433129be03
related:
  - id: fe34868f-6e0e-4882-81f6-c43aa8f15b62
    type: obsolete
  - id: bc275be9-0bec-4d77-8c8f-281a2df6710f
    type: derived
status: stable
description: This rule flags Windows Defender events where scanning for malware and other potentially unwanted software is disabled, based on windefend Event ID 5010. Attackers may attempt to reduce endpoint security coverage to improve persistence and evade detection. Telemetry relies on Windows Defender/WDATP windefend logs that record the scanning-disable action.
references:
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/troubleshoot-microsoft-defender-antivirus?view=o365-worldwide#event-id-5010
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1562.001/T1562.001.md
  - https://craigclouditpro.wordpress.com/2020/03/04/hunting-malicious-windows-defender-activity/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/windefend/win_defender_malware_and_pua_scan_disabled.yml
author: Ján Trenčanský, frack113, Huntrule Team
date: 2020-07-28
modified: 2023-11-22
tags:
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1685
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: windefend
detection:
  selection:
    EventID: 5010
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

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