Disabling Windows Defender WMI Autologger Session via Reg.exe

title: Disabling Windows Defender WMI Autologger Session via Reg.exe
id: a1b2c3d4-e5f6-a7b8-c9d0-e1f2a3b4c5d6
related:
    - id: f37b4bce-49d0-4087-9f5b-58bffda77316
      type: similar
status: experimental
description: |
    Detects the use of reg.exe to disable the Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) Autologger session for Windows Defender API and Audit events.
    By setting the 'Start' value to '0' for the 'DefenderApiLogger' or 'DefenderAuditLogger' session, an attacker can prevent these critical security events
    from being logged, effectively blinding monitoring tools that rely on this data. This is a powerful defense evasion technique.
references:
    - https://research.splunk.com/endpoint/76406a0f-f5e0-4167-8e1f-337fdc0f1b0c/
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/etw/configuring-and-starting-an-autologger-session
    - https://thedfirreport.com/2021/10/18/icedid-to-xinglocker-ransomware-in-24-hours/
    - https://blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2021/02/lazyscripter-from-empire-to-double-rat/
    - https://www.binarly.io/blog/design-issues-of-modern-edrs-bypassing-etw-based-solutions
author: Matt Anderson (Huntress)
date: 2025-07-09
tags:
    - attack.defense-evasion
    - attack.t1562.001
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\reg.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'reg.exe'
    selection_reg_path:
        CommandLine|contains:
            - '\Control\WMI\Autologger\DefenderApiLogger\Start'
            - '\Control\WMI\Autologger\DefenderAuditLogger\Start'
    selection_reg_add:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - 'add'
            - '0'
    filter_main_enable:
        CommandLine|contains: '0x00000001'
    condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
    - Highly unlikely
level: high