HoneyMyte - Defender Exclusion for Fake Windows Defender Directory
Detects wmic being used to add a Microsoft Defender exclusion for a fake "Microsoft\Windows Defender" installation directory. HoneyMyte (Mustang Panda) runs this command via the MSFT_MpPreference WMI class before dropping the CoolClient sideloader (defender.exe) and libngs.dll into that duplicated folder, ensuring the malware is never scanned. The legitimate Windows Defender path does not contain a "Microsoft\" subfolder, making this exclusion target distinctive.
YARA-L

