Volume Shadow Copy Deleted or Resized via VssAdminedit

Identifies use of vssadmin.exe for shadow copy deletion or resizing on endpoints. This commonly occurs in tandem with ransomware or other destructive attacks.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-endpoint.events.*
  • logs-windows.*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Impact

Version: 10 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.16.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule queryedit

process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
event.action == "start" and (process.name : "vssadmin.exe" or
process.pe.original_file_name == "VSSADMIN.EXE") and process.args in
("delete", "resize") and process.args : "shadows*"

Threat mappingedit

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version historyedit

Version 10 (7.16.0 release)
  • Rule name changed from: Volume Shadow Copy Deletion via VssAdmin
  • Updated query, changed from:

    process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
    (process.name : "vssadmin.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name ==
    "VSSADMIN.EXE") and process.args : "delete" and process.args :
    "shadows"
Version 9 (7.13.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
    process.name:vssadmin.exe and process.args:(delete and shadows)
Version 8 (7.12.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 7 (7.11.2 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 6 (7.11.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 5 (7.10.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 4 (7.9.1 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.9.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    process.name:vssadmin.exe and process.args:(delete and shadows)
Version 2 (7.7.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    process.name:"vssadmin.exe" and process.args:("delete" and "shadows")