Windows windefend Event ID 5012: Windows Defender virus scanning disabled
Flags when Windows Defender disables virus scanning via windefend Event ID 5012.
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 matches Windows windefend events where Event ID 5012 indicates that virus scanning has been disabled. Attackers may impair endpoint defenses to reduce the likelihood of malware detection and persistence. The detection relies on the windefend telemetry reporting Event ID 5012 for the disabling of scanning.
Reporting behind it
- learn.microsoft.comhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/troubleshoot-microsoft-defender-antivirus?view=o365-worldwide#event-id-5012
- github.comhttps://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1562.001/T1562.001.md
- craigclouditpro.wordpress.comhttps://craigclouditpro.wordpress.com/2020/03/04/hunting-malicious-windows-defender-activity/
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/windefend/win_defender_virus_scan_disabled.yml
Changelog
v2- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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-windefend-virus-scanning-disabled-event-id-5012-686c0b4b
title: "Windows windefend Event ID 5012: Windows Defender virus scanning disabled"
id: 9d0b04b9-e9f1-44c4-8aa0-d25e00199600
related:
- id: fe34868f-6e0e-4882-81f6-c43aa8f15b62
type: obsolete
- id: 686c0b4b-9dd3-4847-9077-d6c1bbe36fcb
type: derived
status: stable
description: This rule matches Windows windefend events where Event ID 5012 indicates that virus scanning has been disabled. Attackers may impair endpoint defenses to reduce the likelihood of malware detection and persistence. The detection relies on the windefend telemetry reporting Event ID 5012 for the disabling of scanning.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/troubleshoot-microsoft-defender-antivirus?view=o365-worldwide#event-id-5012
- 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_virus_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: 5012
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1