SV-213445r1260208: Microsoft Defender AV must be configured to always enable real-time protection. | Microsoft Defender Antivirus STIG SCAP Benchmark

Loading benchmark…

Assessment Title

Rule Text

Microsoft Defender AV must be configured to always enable real-time protection.

Description

Discussion Text

This policy setting turns off real-time protection prompts for known malware detection. Microsoft Defender Antivirus alerts when malware or potentially unwanted software attempts to install itself or to run on a user's computer. If this policy setting is enabled, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will not prompt users to take actions on malware detections. If this policy setting is disabled or not configured, Microsoft Defender Antivirus will prompt users to take actions on malware detections.

How this relates to the STIG checklist: STIG vs SCAP benchmark.

IA Controls

NIST SP 800-53

Not mappedCCI-002624SV-89907V-75227

References

DPMS Target Microsoft Defender Antivirus DISA DPMS Target Microsoft Defender Antivirus 3985

SCC Automation Reference

The reconstructed evaluation script behind this rule's OVAL check(s) — every module a compound check combines, with this rule's own concrete values and DISA's SCC tool's real per-module mechanism curated from static teardown of SCC releases.

# Windows PowerShell
# Reconstructed from oval:mil.disa.stig.defenderantivirus:def:20
# Microsoft Defender AV must be configured to always enable real-time protection.
# Per-module read mechanism curated from static teardown of DISA's SCC tool
# (SCAP Compliance Checker) -- see the SCC Automation Reference above.

# Intune has real-time protection enabled.
# registry_object (registry_test)
function test_1 {
  return (((@{String='reg_sz';ExpandString='reg_expand_sz';Binary='reg_binary';DWord='reg_dword';MultiString='reg_multi_sz';QWord='reg_qword';None='reg_none'}[(Get-Item -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Policy Manager').GetValueKind('AllowRealtimeMonitoring').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Policy Manager' -Name 'AllowRealtimeMonitoring' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'AllowRealtimeMonitoring') -eq 1))
}
# 'Turn off real-time protection' is not configured or det to 'disabled' by the GPO 
# registry_object (registry_test)
function test_2 {
  return (((@{String='reg_sz';ExpandString='reg_expand_sz';Binary='reg_binary';DWord='reg_dword';MultiString='reg_multi_sz';QWord='reg_qword';None='reg_none'}[(Get-Item -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Real-Time Protection').GetValueKind('DisableRealtimeMonitoring').ToString()]) -eq 'reg_dword') -and (((Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Real-Time Protection' -Name 'DisableRealtimeMonitoring' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) | Select-Object -ExpandProperty 'DisableRealtimeMonitoring') -eq 0))
}
# The setting is not configured by Intune
# registry_object (registry_test)
function test_3 {
  return (-not ($null -ne (Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Policy Manager' -Name 'AllowRealtimeMonitoring')))
}

if ((test_1 -or (test_2 -and test_3))) {
  Write-Output "PASS"
} else {
  Write-Output "FAIL"
}

Assessment Script Powered by AISyntax-verified

A standalone PowerShell script to assess this control automatically. Review before running it in your environment.

Syntax-checked as valid PowerShell. Not executed here — running it for real needs the actual ms_defender_antivirus target this check assesses.

# OVAL Definition: oval:mil.disa.stig.defenderantivirus:def:20
$realTimeProtectionEnabled = (Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Policy Manager' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).AllowRealtimeMonitoring -eq 1
$disableRealTimeProtection = (Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Real-Time Protection' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).DisableRealtimeMonitoring -eq 0
if ($realTimeProtectionEnabled -or ($disableRealTimeProtection -and (Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Policy Manager' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).AllowRealtimeMonitoring -eq $null)) { Write-Output "PASS"; Exit 0 } else { Write-Output "FAIL"; Exit 1 }

Remediation

Set the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Defender Antivirus >> Real-time Protection >> "Turn off real-time protection" to "Disabled" or "Not Configured".