Detection rules › Splunk
Windows Modify Registry Disable Win Defender Raw Write Notif
The following analytic detects modifications to the Windows registry that disable the Windows Defender raw write notification feature. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Registry datamodel, specifically monitoring changes to the registry path associated with Windows Defender's real-time protection settings. This activity is significant because disabling raw write notifications can allow malware, such as Azorult, to bypass Windows Defender's behavior monitoring, potentially leading to undetected malicious activities. If confirmed malicious, this could enable attackers to execute code, persist in the environment, and access sensitive information without detection.
Known false positives
- Administrators may enable or disable this feature that may cause some false positive. Filter as needed.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Persistence | |
| Defense Impairment |
Telemetry coverage
| Provider | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 13: RegistryEvent (Value Set) |
Rule body
name: Windows Modify Registry Disable Win Defender Raw Write Notif
id: 0e5e25c3-32f4-46f7-ba4a-5b95c3b90f5b
version: 11
creation_date: '2022-07-06'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic detects modifications to the Windows registry that disable the Windows Defender raw write notification feature. It leverages data from the Endpoint.Registry datamodel, specifically monitoring changes to the registry path associated with Windows Defender's real-time protection settings. This activity is significant because disabling raw write notifications can allow malware, such as Azorult, to bypass Windows Defender's behavior monitoring, potentially leading to undetected malicious activities. If confirmed malicious, this could enable attackers to execute code, persist in the environment, and access sensitive information without detection.
data_source:
- Sysmon EventID 13
search: '| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry where Registry.registry_path= "*\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableRawWriteNotification*" Registry.registry_value_data="0x00000001" by Registry.action Registry.dest Registry.process_guid Registry.process_id Registry.registry_hive Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_key_name Registry.registry_value_data Registry.registry_value_name Registry.registry_value_type Registry.status Registry.user Registry.vendor_product | `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)` | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_modify_registry_disable_win_defender_raw_write_notif_filter`'
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search you need to be ingesting information on process that include the name of the process responsible for the changes from your endpoints into the `Endpoint` datamodel in the `Registry` node. Also make sure that this registry was included in your config files ex. sysmon config to be monitored.
known_false_positives: Administrators may enable or disable this feature that may cause some false positive. Filter as needed.
references:
- https://admx.help/?Category=SystemCenterEndpointProtection&Policy=Microsoft.Policies.Antimalware::real-time_protection_disablerawwritenotification
- https://app.any.run/tasks/a6f2ffe2-e6e2-4396-ae2e-04ea0143f2d8/
intermediate_findings:
entities:
- field: dest
type: system
score: 20
message: The registry for raw write notification settings was modified to disable on $dest$.
analytic_story:
- Azorult
- CISA AA23-347A
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
- T1112
product:
- Splunk Enterprise
- Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
Stages and Predicates
Stage 1: tstats
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Registry where Registry.registry_path= "*\\Windows Defender\\Real-Time Protection\\DisableRawWriteNotification*" Registry.registry_value_data="0x00000001" by Registry.action Registry.dest Registry.process_guid Registry.process_id Registry.registry_hive Registry.registry_path Registry.registry_key_name Registry.registry_value_data Registry.registry_value_name Registry.registry_value_type Registry.status Registry.user Registry.vendor_product
Stage 2: search
| `drop_dm_object_name(Registry)`
Stage 3: search
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
Stage 4: search
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
Stage 5: search
| `windows_modify_registry_disable_win_defender_raw_write_notif_filter`
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Registry.registry_path | eq |
| field:"registry_path" kind:eq |
Registry.registry_value_data | eq |
| field:"Details" kind:eq |