↳ GitHub sourceAnalytics ruleHigh

Imminent Ransomware

Description

This query checks for a series of commands that are commonly used by attackers to disable security tools and system recovery tools before deploying Macaw ransomware in an organization.
Rule type
Scheduled
Version
1.0.0
Declared status
Available
Query frequency
1h
Query period
1h
Trigger
gt 0

Declared MITRE coverage

KQL query

Original query, unchanged.

_ASim_ProcessEvent 
// Pivot on specific commands 
| where CommandLine has_any("-ExclusionPath", "Set-MpPreference", "advfirewall", "-ExclusionExtension", 
"-EnableControlledFolderAccess", "windefend", "onstart", "bcdedit", "Startup") 
// Making list of found commands 
| summarize CommandLine = make_set(CommandLine, 10000) by DvcId, Dvc, bin(TimeGenerated, 6h) 
// Extending columns for later aggregration, based on TTP
| extend StartUpExclusionPath = iff(CommandLine has_all("-ExclusionPath", "Startup"), 1, 0) 
| extend DefenderTamp = iff(CommandLine has "Set-MpPreference" 
and CommandLine has_any( 
"-SevereThreatDefaultAction 6" 
"-HighThreatDefaultAction 6", 
"-ModerateThreatDefaultAction 6", 
"-LowThreatDefaultAction 6" 
"-ScanScheduleDay 8"), 1, 0) 
| extend NetshFirewallTampering = iff(CommandLine has_all( "netsh", "advfirewall", "allprofiles state off"), 1, 0) 
| extend BatExclusion = iff(CommandLine has_all("-ExclusionExtension", ".bat"), 1, 0) 
| extend ExeExclusion = iff(CommandLine has_all("-ExclusionExtension", ".exe"), 1, 0) 
| extend DisableControlledFolderAccess = iff(CommandLine has_all("-EnableControlledFolderAccess", "Disabled"), 1, 0) 
| extend ScDeleteDefend = iff(CommandLine has_all("sc", "delete", "windefend"), 1, 0) 
| extend BootTampering = iff(CommandLine has_all("bcdedit", "default") and CommandLine has_any ("recoveryenabled No", "bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures"), 1, 0) 
| extend SchTasks = iff(CommandLine has_all("/sc", "onstart", "system", "/create", "/delay"), 1, 0) 
// Summarizing found commands 
| summarize by NetshFirewallTampering ,BatExclusion, ExeExclusion, DisableControlledFolderAccess, ScDeleteDefend, SchTasks, BootTampering, DefenderTamp, StartUpExclusionPath, DvcId, Dvc, TimeGenerated 
// Adding up each piece of evidence 
| extend EvidenceCount = NetshFirewallTampering + BatExclusion + ExeExclusion + DisableControlledFolderAccess + ScDeleteDefend + SchTasks + BootTampering + DefenderTamp + StartUpExclusionPath 
| where EvidenceCount > 4
| extend HostName = iff(Dvc has '.', substring(Dvc, 0, indexof(Dvc, '.')), Dvc)
| extend DnsDomain = iff(Dvc has '.', substring(Dvc, indexof(Dvc, '.') + 1), "")

Declared entities

Host

Related content

Links established from declared identifiers and solution manifests.

Source provenance

GitHub

Displayed values come from files in Azure/Azure-Sentinel. They describe the published template, not your workspace configuration.

Source identifier
bb46dd86-e642-48a4-975c-44f5ac2b5033
Additional source files 2Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Analytic Rules/Campaign/Macaw Ransomware/ImminentRansomware.yamlsource ↗Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Data/Solution_Microsoft Defender XDR.jsonsolution-membership ↗
GSTEP / CATALOG TRACKING

Added to catalog : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC
Last change observed : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC

GSTEP sync dates, separate from the source content’s publication dates.