Sigma rule: Windows Defender Exclusion List Modified

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-a42a45e9708e, updated 2023-11-11T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Windows Defender Exclusion List Modified
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
@BarryShooshooga
Date
2019-10-26
Modified
2023-11-11
File
rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_windows_defender_exclusions_registry_modified.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects modifications to the Windows Defender exclusion registry key. This could indicate a potentially suspicious or even malicious activity by an attacker trying to add a new exclusion in order to bypass security.

Log source

product
windows
service
security
definition
Requirements: Audit Policy : Security Settings/Local Policies/Audit Policy, Registry System Access Control (SACL): Auditing/User

Detection

selection:
    EventID: 4657 # A registry value was modified.
    ObjectName|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Intended exclusions by administrators

Tags

  • attack.defense-impairment
  • attack.t1685

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

References

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_windows_defender_exclusions_registry_modified.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Windows Defender Exclusion List Modified" by @BarryShooshooga (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_windows_defender_exclusions_registry_modified.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Windows Defender Exclusion List Modified",
entity page, dataset version ref-a42a45e9708e, updated 2023-11-11T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/46a68649-f218-4f86-aea1-16a759d81820 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 46a68649-f218-4f86-aea1-16a759d81820, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.