Information
This rule prevents malware from abusing WMI to attain persistence on a device.
Rule ID and name:
- e6db77e5-3df2-4cf1-b95a-636979351e5b (Block persistence through WMI event subscription)
The recommended state for this setting is: e6db77e5-3df2-4cf1-b95a-636979351e5b:1 (Block).
Note: More information on ASR rules can be found at the following link: Use Attack surface reduction rules to prevent malware infection | Microsoft Docs https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/windows-defender-exploit-guard/attack-surface-reduction-exploit-guard
Note #2: If CcmExec.exe (SCCM Agent) is detected on the device, the ASR rule is classified as 'not applicable' in Defender for Endpoint settings in the Microsoft Defender portal.
Attack surface reduction helps prevent actions and apps that are typically used by exploit-seeking malware to infect machines.
Fileless threats employ various tactics to stay hidden, to avoid being seen in the file system, and to gain periodic execution control. Some threats can abuse the WMI repository and event model to stay hidden.
Solution
To establish the recommended configuration via GP, set the following UI path to e6db77e5-3df2-4cf1-b95a-636979351e5b with a value of 1 :
Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Defender Antivirus\Microsoft Defender Exploit Guard\Attack Surface Reduction\Configure Attack Surface Reduction rules: Set the state for each ASR rule
Note: This Group Policy path is provided by the Group Policy template WindowsDefender.admx/adml that is included with the Microsoft Windows 10 Release 1709 Administrative Templates (or newer).
Impact:
When a rule is triggered, a notification will be displayed from the Action Center.