huntrule

Windows windefend: Detect Tamper Protection blocks changes to Microsoft Defender settings

Flags Defender tamper protection blocks to disable key Microsoft Defender Antivirus and real-time protection settings.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Service
windefend
Author
Bhabesh Raj, Nasreddine Bencherchali (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2021-07-05
Updated
2026-07-31
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 blocked attempts to change Microsoft Defender Antivirus/Real-Time Protection settings when Tamper Protection prevents the modification. Attackers may try to weaken defenses by disabling features such as realtime monitoring, behavior monitoring, or archive/network scanning, making this alert important for defense-impairment attempts. It relies on windefend telemetry for Event ID 5013 and matches the blocked setting paths corresponding to the targeted configuration changes.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1685 — drag to rearrange
Malicious Microsoft Defender Tampering via PowerShell Preference Cmdlets
Suspicious Windows Defender Exclusion via Add-MpPreference (via process_creation)
Malicious Windows Defender Service Tampering via PowerShell (via process_creation)
Windows Defender Disabled via DisableAntiSpyware Registry Key
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
Windows windefend: Detect Tamper Protection blocks changes to Microsoft Defender settings
Pivot detection · T1685 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. 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.