Delete Defender Scan ShellEx Context Menu Registry Key

Detects deletion of registry key that adds 'Scan with Defender' option in context menu. Attackers may use this to make it harder for users to scan files that are suspicious.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Log source product: windows
Log source category: registry_delete

Known benign triggers

Unlikely as this weakens defenses and normally would not be done even if using another AV.

References

Links the source published beside this detection. Reference is the link the source wrote, unmodified. Class is decided by this catalogue from the host and path, not stated by the source. Cited by counts published detections citing the same resource, including this one, and the sources beneath it count the repositories this catalogue ingests, which is not the same as independent research.
Reference	Class	Cited by
blog.malwarebytes.com/malwarebytes-news/2021/02/lazyscripter-from-empire-to-double-rat/	Unclassified	11from 2 sources
research.splunk.com/endpoint/395ed5fe-ad13-4366-9405-a228427bdd91/	Unclassified	2
thedfirreport.com/2021/10/18/icedid-to-xinglocker-ransomware-in-24-hours/	Threat report	25from 3 sources
winaero.com/how-to-delete-scan-with-windows-defender-from-context-menu-in-windows-10/	Unclassified	2

Detection rules

Delete Defender Scan ShellEx Context Menu Registry Key

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Known benign triggers

MITRE ATT&CK mappings

References

From the source

Licence

Authorship

Detection rules