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Windows Process: SystemSettingsAdminFlows.exe Used to Disable Windows Defender

Alerts when SystemSettingsAdminFlows.exe is launched with command-line arguments consistent with disabling Windows Defender.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Chirag Damani (KPMG India), Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2026-07-01
Updated
2026-07-30
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 identifies process executions of SystemSettingsAdminFlows.exe where the command line includes 'defender' along with options and values indicating Defender configuration is being disabled. Attackers may use this legitimate Windows binary to impair host defenses as part of an overall intrusion or ransomware workflow. The detection relies on process creation telemetry, specifically the image name, original file name, and command-line substrings related to real-time protection and reporting settings.

Reporting behind it

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Malicious Defender Disable And Executable Exclusion Via Registry
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Malicious AMSI and ETW Patching via PowerShell Script
Malicious PowMix AMSI Bypass via amsiInitFailed
Suspicious ThrottleStop Driver Abuse for Defense Evasion in Ransomware Attacks
Malicious Disabling of Microsoft Defender Real-Time Protection via SystemSettingsAdminFlows by DeadLock Ransomware
Suspicious Security Software Uninstallation via WMIC Product Call Uninstall (Chaos Ransomware)
Suspicious Security Product Uninstall via wmic product call uninstall
Windows Process: SystemSettingsAdminFlows.exe Used to Disable Windows Defender
Pivot detection · T1685 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.