Disable Windows Firewall by Registry

Hunt Hypothesis

Detect set EnableFirewall to 0 to disable the Windows firewall

Detection Rule

Sigma (Original)

title: Disable Windows Firewall by Registry
id: e78c408a-e2ea-43cd-b5ea-51975cf358c0
status: test
description: Detect set EnableFirewall to 0 to disable the Windows firewall
references:
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/40b77d63808dd4f4eafb83949805636735a1fd15/atomics/T1562.004/T1562.004.md
author: frack113
date: 2022-08-19
modified: 2023-08-17
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1686.003
logsource:
    category: registry_set
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        TargetObject|endswith:
            - \SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\StandardProfile\EnableFirewall
            - \SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall\DomainProfile\EnableFirewall
        Details: DWORD (0x00000000)
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium

KQL (Azure Sentinel)

imRegistry
| where (RegistryKey endswith "\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\WindowsFirewall\\StandardProfile\\EnableFirewall" or RegistryKey endswith "\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\WindowsFirewall\\DomainProfile\\EnableFirewall") and RegistryValueData =~ "DWORD (0x00000000)"

KQL (Microsoft 365 Defender)

DeviceRegistryEvents
| where (RegistryKey endswith "\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\WindowsFirewall\\StandardProfile\\EnableFirewall" or RegistryKey endswith "\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Microsoft\\WindowsFirewall\\DomainProfile\\EnableFirewall") and RegistryValueData =~ "DWORD (0x00000000)"

Required Data Sources

False Positive Guidance

• Unknown

MITRE ATT&CK Context

• Technique: T1686.003 — T1686.003

References

• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/40b77d63808dd4f4eafb83949805636735a1fd15/atomics/T1562.004/T1562.004.md
• SigmaHQ Rule