Microsoft Defender Antivirus • Release: 7 Benchmark Date: 05 Jan 2026

CAT II V-278658 WNDF-AV-000054

Microsoft Defender AV must control whether exclusions are visible to Local Admins.

Documentable No
Rule ID SV-278658r1156519_rule
CCI References
CCI-001170

Disabled (Default): If this setting is not configured or disabled, local admins can see exclusions in the Windows Security App or via PowerShell. Enabled: If this setting is enabled, local admins no longer see the exclusion list in Windows Security App or via PowerShell.O13. Note: Applying this setting will not remove exclusions, it only prevents them from being visible to local admins. This is reflected in?Get-MpPreference.I13.

Check Procedure

Verify the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Defender Antivirus >> Control whether or not exclusions are visible to Local Admins is set to "Enabled"; otherwise, this is a finding.

Procedure: Use the Windows Registry Editor to navigate to the following key: 
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender

Criteria: If the value "HideExclusionsFromLocalAdmins" is REG_DWORD = 1, this is not a finding.

If the value is "0", this is a finding.

Fix Action

Set the policy value for Computer Configuration >> Administrative Templates >> Windows Components >> Microsoft Defender Antivirus >> Control whether or not exclusions are visible to Local Admins to "Enabled".

Click "OK".

Click "Apply".