huntrule

Windows windefend EventID 5001: Windows Defender real-time protection disabled

Flags windefend Event ID 5001 indicating Windows Defender real-time protection was disabled.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Service
windefend
Author
Ján Trenčanský, frack113 (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2020-07-28
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 flags Windows Defender real-time protection being disabled, based on windefend events with EventID 5001. Disabling real-time protection reduces endpoint defenses and is commonly used to impair detection or prolong attacker activity. It relies on Windows Defender/Windows Firewall Defender notification telemetry from the windefend service, specifically the presence of EventID 5001.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1685 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious Windows Defender Exclusion of User Profile via PowerShell (via process_creation)
Malicious Vulnerable Driver Service Creation for BYOVD (via process_creation)
Malicious Microsoft Defender Disabled via Registry DisableAntiSpyware (via process_creation)
Suspicious Termination of Defender Tray Process via Taskkill
Malicious Windows Defender Disablement via MpCmdRun RemoveDefinitions
Malicious Unsigned VIB Installation on ESXi Host via esxcli (via process_creation)
Suspicious In-Memory PowerShell Execution from Web Server via Automation Assembly (via image_load)
Malicious EDR Evasion Driver Load from AnyDesk Directory via k.sys (via image_load)
Malicious Zemana Vulnerable Driver Load for EDR Termination (via image_load)
Windows windefend EventID 5001: Windows Defender real-time protection disabled
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.