Sigma rule: Windows Defender Exclusion Registry Key - Write Access Requested

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-c783fc4a23a6, updated 2023-11-11T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Windows Defender Exclusion Registry Key - Write Access Requested
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
@BarryShooshooga, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2019-10-26
Modified
2023-11-11
File
rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_windows_defender_exclusions_write_access.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects write access requests to the Windows Defender exclusions registry keys. This could be an indication of an attacker trying to request a handle or access the object to write new exclusions 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:
    AccessList|contains:
        - '%%4417' # WriteData
        - '%%4418' # AppendData
    EventID:
        - 4656 # A handle to an object was requested.
        - 4663 # An attempt was made to access an object.
    ObjectName|contains: '\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

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_write_access.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Windows Defender Exclusion Registry Key - Write Access Requested" by @BarryShooshooga, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_windows_defender_exclusions_write_access.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 Registry Key - Write Access Requested",
entity page, dataset version ref-c783fc4a23a6, updated 2023-11-11T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/e9c8808f-4cfb-4ba9-97d4-e5f3beaa244d (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule e9c8808f-4cfb-4ba9-97d4-e5f3beaa244d, 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.