Disable PUA Protection on Windows Defender

Hunt Hypothesis

Detects disabling Windows Defender PUA protection

Detection Rule

Sigma (Original)

title: Disable PUA Protection on Windows Defender
id: 8ffc5407-52e3-478f-9596-0a7371eafe13
status: test
description: Detects disabling Windows Defender PUA protection
references:
    - https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/32236-enable-disable-microsoft-defender-pua-protection-windows-10-a.html
author: Austin Songer @austinsonger
date: 2021-08-04
modified: 2023-08-17
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1685
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|contains: '\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\PUAProtection'
        Details: 'DWORD (0x00000000)'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

KQL (Azure Sentinel)

imRegistry
| where RegistryKey contains "\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\PUAProtection" and RegistryValueData =~ "DWORD (0x00000000)"

KQL (Microsoft 365 Defender)

DeviceRegistryEvents
| where RegistryKey contains "\\Policies\\Microsoft\\Windows Defender\\PUAProtection" and RegistryValueData =~ "DWORD (0x00000000)"

Required Data Sources

False Positive Guidance

• Unknown

MITRE ATT&CK Context

• Technique: T1685 — T1685

References

• https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/32236-enable-disable-microsoft-defender-pua-protection-windows-10-a.html
• SigmaHQ Rule