Volume Shadow Copy Deletion via VssAdmin

IMPORTANT: This documentation is no longer updated. Refer to Elastic's version policy and the latest documentation.

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

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-6m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum signals per execution: 100

Tags:

Version: 2 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.7.0

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

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
Technique:
- Name: Inhibit System Recovery
- ID: T1490
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1490/

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")