Azure Recovery Services Protection Container Deleted

Severity: high
Log types: Azure.MonitorActivity
Tags: Impact, Inhibit System Recovery, Data Destruction, Defense Evasion, Impair Defenses, Ransomware, Storm-0501, Backup
Reference: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/08/27/storm-0501s-evolving-techniques-lead-to-cloud-based-ransomware/
Source: github.com/panther-labs/panther-analysis

Detects deletion of Azure Recovery Services protection containers containing VM and workload backups. Storm-0501 systematically deletes backup containers before deploying ransomware to prevent recovery. This operation permanently destroys all recovery points for protected resources.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Stealth	`T1562` Impair Defenses
Impact	`T1485` Data Destruction, `T1490` Inhibit System Recovery

Rule body yaml

AnalysisType: rule
Filename: azure_recovery_services_container_deleted.py
RuleID: "Azure.MonitorActivity.RecoveryServices.ProtectionContainerDeleted"
DisplayName: "Azure Recovery Services Protection Container Deleted"
Enabled: true
LogTypes:
  - Azure.MonitorActivity
Severity: High
Description: >
  Detects deletion of Azure Recovery Services protection containers containing VM and workload backups.
  Storm-0501 systematically deletes backup containers before deploying ransomware to prevent recovery.
  This operation permanently destroys all recovery points for protected resources.
Reports:
  MITRE ATT&CK:
    - TA0040:T1490 # Impact: Inhibit System Recovery
    - TA0040:T1485 # Impact: Data Destruction
    - TA0005:T1562 # Defense Evasion: Impair Defenses
Reference: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/08/27/storm-0501s-evolving-techniques-lead-to-cloud-based-ransomware/
Tags:
  - Impact
  - Inhibit System Recovery
  - Data Destruction
  - Defense Evasion
  - Impair Defenses
  - Ransomware
  - Storm-0501
  - Backup
Runbook: |
  1. Query Azure Monitor Activity logs for all protection container deletions by the callerIpAddress in the past 6 hours to calculate the total number of backup containers destroyed
  2. Search for resource lock deletions on the same vault by the same caller in the 6 hours before this deletion to identify Storm-0501 attack pattern
  3. Find all role assignment operations for the caller identity in the 48 hours before deletion to identify if Owner or Backup Operator permissions were recently granted
  4. Check Azure.Audit logs for authentication events from the callerIpAddress in the 48-72 hours before to identify account compromise indicators
  5. Search for other backup destruction or ransomware-related alerts triggered by the same callerIpAddress across all subscriptions in the past 7 days
SummaryAttributes:
  - resourceId
  - callerIpAddress
  - correlationId
Tests:
  - Name: Protection Container Deleted Successfully
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-01-27T14:55:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc/resourceGroups/backup-rg/providers/Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/ProductionBackupVault/backupFabrics/Azure/protectionContainers/IaasVMContainer;iaasvmcontainerv2;prod-rg;prod-vm-001",
        "operationName": "MICROSOFT.RECOVERYSERVICES/VAULTS/BACKUPFABRICS/PROTECTIONCONTAINERS/DELETE",
        "operationVersion": "2021-12-01",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Success",
        "resultSignature": "200",
        "callerIpAddress": "203.0.113.42",
        "correlationId": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
        "level": "Informational",
        "location": "eastus",
        "tenantId": "87654321-4321-4321-4321-111111111111",
        "identity": {
          "claims": {
            "name": "compromised-admin@company.com",
            "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2005/05/identity/claims/upn": "compromised-admin@company.com"
          }
        }
      }
  - Name: Multiple Protection Containers Deleted - Mass Backup Destruction
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-01-27T15:30:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/aaaaaaaa-bbbb-cccc-dddd-eeeeeeeeeeee/resourceGroups/backup-rg/providers/Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/EnterpriseBackupVault/backupFabrics/Azure/protectionContainers/VMAppContainer;Compute;app-rg;sqlserver-vm",
        "operationName": "microsoft.recoveryservices/vaults/backupfabrics/protectioncontainers/delete",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Succeeded",
        "callerIpAddress": "198.51.100.50",
        "correlationId": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f23456789012",
        "level": "Information",
        "location": "westus2",
        "tenantId": "11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111"
      }
  - Name: Storage Account Backup Container Deleted
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-01-27T16:15:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc/resourceGroups/storage-backup-rg/providers/Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/StorageBackupVault/backupFabrics/Azure/protectionContainers/StorageContainer;Storage;storage-rg;criticaldata001",
        "operationName": "Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/backupFabrics/protectionContainers/delete",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Success",
        "callerIpAddress": "192.0.2.100",
        "correlationId": "c3d4e5f6-a7b8-9012-cdef-345678901234",
        "tenantId": "22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222"
      }
  - Name: Failed Protection Container Deletion
    ExpectedResult: false
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-01-27T17:00:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc/resourceGroups/locked-backup-rg/providers/Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/ProtectedVault/backupFabrics/Azure/protectionContainers/IaasVMContainer;iaasvmcontainerv2;critical-rg;critical-vm",
        "operationName": "MICROSOFT.RECOVERYSERVICES/VAULTS/BACKUPFABRICS/PROTECTIONCONTAINERS/DELETE",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Failed",
        "resultSignature": "403",
        "callerIpAddress": "198.18.0.50",
        "correlationId": "d4e5f6a7-b8c9-0123-def0-456789012345",
        "tenantId": "33333333-3333-3333-3333-333333333333"
      }
  - Name: Different Operation - Protection Container Refresh
    ExpectedResult: false
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-01-27T18:00:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc/resourceGroups/backup-rg/providers/Microsoft.RecoveryServices/vaults/BackupVault/backupFabrics/Azure/protectionContainers/IaasVMContainer;iaasvmcontainerv2;vm-rg;vm-001",
        "operationName": "MICROSOFT.RECOVERYSERVICES/VAULTS/BACKUPFABRICS/PROTECTIONCONTAINERS/REFRESH/ACTION",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Success",
        "callerIpAddress": "203.0.113.10",
        "correlationId": "e5f6a7b8-c9d0-1234-ef01-567890123456",
        "tenantId": "44444444-4444-4444-4444-444444444444"
      }

Detection logic

Condition

operationName eq "MICROSOFT.RECOVERYSERVICES/VAULTS/BACKUPFABRICS/PROTECTIONCONTAINERS/DELETE"
resultType in ["Success", "Succeeded"]

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

Field	Kind	Values
`operationName`	eq	`MICROSOFT.RECOVERYSERVICES/VAULTS/BACKUPFABRICS/PROTECTIONCONTAINERS/DELETE`
`resultType`	in	`Succeeded` `Success`

`j` / `k`	Scroll down / up
`d` / `u`	Half-page down / up
`gg` / `G`	Top / bottom
`h` / `l`	History back / forward
`f`	Follow link (`Shift` = new tab)
`/`	Focus search
`?`	Toggle this help
`↑` / `↓`	Navigate search results
`Enter`	Open highlighted result
`Esc`	Close results / dialog

`type:`	`events` / `rules` / `providers`
`vendor:`	`sigma` / `elastic` / `splunk` / `kusto` / `chronicle` (vendor name alone also works: `sigma:`, `kql:`, `secops:`…)
`tactic:`	TA-id, slug, or name: `credential_access`, `TA0006`
`technique:`	technique or sub-technique ID: `T1003`, `T1003.001` (alias `tech:`)
`severity:`	`critical` / `high` / `medium` / `low` / `informational` (alias `sev:`)
`risk_score`	Numeric comparison on the Elastic risk score (0 to 100): `risk_score>50`, `risk_score<=20`, `risk_score=99` (alias `risk`; Elastic rules only)
`stages:`	Rules with exactly N pipeline stages
`correlation:`	`single_event` / `sequence` / `alternatives` / `alternatives_cross_log` / `all_required` / `correlated`
`with:`	Co-occurrence event-id; stacks (`with:4624 with:4769`) to require all, while a comma list in one occurrence (`with:4624,4769`) is an either-or group. Implies multi-event
`like:`	Structural neighbors of a rule slug (equivalents + subsumption stricter / broader): `like:comsvcs_lsass_memory_dump-splunk-sysmon`
`groupby:`	Entity-grouping substring match against `group_by_keys`: `groupby:user`, `groupby:host`
`uses:`	Rules whose predicate tree touches the field (any kind, any value): `uses:CommandLine`
`excludes:`	Rules with top-level `not()` clauses on the field (FP whitelists): `excludes:ParentImage`
`field:` / `value:`	Predicate search; narrows rule cards to those with a matching leaf and drives the indicator tier. Unquoted = substring, wildcards allowed (`value:mimikatz`)
`indicator:`	Shorthand for `field:F value:V`: `indicator:Image=*\powershell.exe`
`kind:`	Filter by predicate kind. Narrows rule cards to those carrying a matching predicate leaf (`vendor:elastic kind:cidr_match`) and drives the indicator tier: `contains` / `starts_with` / `ends_with` / `regex` / `cidr` / `eq` / `in` … (operator aliases `op:`/`match:`)
`has:` / `no:`	`sample`, `field`, `notes`, `refs`, `trace`, `thirdparty`, `rule`, `pattern`, `timewindow`, `threshold`, `newterms`, `sigma`/`elastic`/`splunk`/`kusto`/`chronicle`
`-op:val`	Exclude matches; works on most operators but not `type:`/`like:`/`has:`/`no:` (use `no:<flag>` to exclude a rule flag): `tactic:execution -vendor:splunk`. Standalone `-kind:`/`-field:`/`-value:` drop every rule carrying a matching predicate leaf (`type:rules -kind:is_null`)
`field:"…"` / `value:"…"`	Quoted value = anchored exact match (also allows spaces): `value:"net user"`
`a,b`	Comma = OR inside one operator (`vendor:sigma,elastic`, `severity:high,critical`); repeating a facet merges the same way. `field:`/`value:` never split (literal commas)
`vendors:` / `stage:`	Singular and plural spellings fold to the canonical operator and value: `tactics:` = `tactic:`, `type:event` = `type:events`, `correlation:sequences` = `correlation:sequence`, `has:thresholds` = `has:threshold`
`"quoted phrase"`	Exact-match a multi-word phrase (free text)