Detection rules › Sigma
Suspicious Windows Service Tampering
Detects the usage of binaries such as 'net', 'sc' or 'powershell' in order to stop, pause, disable or delete critical or important Windows services such as AV, Backup, etc. As seen being used in some ransomware scripts
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Defense Impairment | T1685 Disable or Modify Tools |
| Impact | T1489 Service Stop |
Event coverage
| Provider | Event | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1 | Process creation |
Rule body yaml
title: Suspicious Windows Service Tampering
id: ce72ef99-22f1-43d4-8695-419dcb5d9330
related:
- id: eb87818d-db5d-49cc-a987-d5da331fbd90
type: obsolete
- id: 6783aa9e-0dc3-49d4-a94a-8b39c5fd700b
type: obsolete
- id: 7fd4bb39-12d0-45ab-bb36-cebabc73dc7b
type: obsolete
status: test
description: |
Detects the usage of binaries such as 'net', 'sc' or 'powershell' in order to stop, pause, disable or delete critical or important Windows services such as AV, Backup, etc. As seen being used in some ransomware scripts
references:
- https://www.trendmicro.com/content/dam/trendmicro/global/en/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus/Genshin%20Impact%20Figure%2010.jpg
- https://www.trellix.com/en-sg/about/newsroom/stories/threat-labs/lockergoga-ransomware-family-used-in-targeted-attacks.html
- https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1562.001/T1562.001.md
- https://research.nccgroup.com/2022/08/19/back-in-black-unlocking-a-lockbit-3-0-ransomware-attack/
- https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/38283b775552da8981452941ea74191aa0d203edd3f61fb2dee7b0aea3514955
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/cimwin32prov/delete-method-in-class-win32-service
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), frack113 , X__Junior (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-09-01
modified: 2025-08-27
tags:
- attack.impact
- attack.defense-impairment
- attack.t1489
- attack.t1685
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection_tools_img:
- OriginalFileName:
- 'net.exe'
- 'net1.exe'
- 'PowerShell_ISE.EXE'
- 'PowerShell.EXE'
- 'psservice.exe'
- 'pwsh.dll'
- 'sc.exe'
- 'wmic.exe'
- Image|endswith:
- '\net.exe'
- '\net1.exe'
- '\PowerShell_ISE.EXE'
- '\powershell.exe'
- '\PsService.exe'
- '\PsService64.exe'
- '\pwsh.exe'
- '\sc.exe'
- '\wmic.exe' # wmic process call win32_service where name='servicename' delete
selection_tools_cli:
- CommandLine|contains:
- ' delete '
- '.delete()' # Get-WmiObject win32_service -Filter "name='$serviceName'" ).delete()
- ' pause ' # Covers flags from: PsService and Sc.EXE
- ' stop ' # Covers flags from: PsService.EXE, Net.EXE and Sc.EXE
- 'Stop-Service '
- 'Remove-Service '
- CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'config'
- 'start=disabled'
selection_services:
CommandLine|contains:
- '143Svc'
- 'Acronis VSS Provider'
- 'AcronisAgent'
- 'AcrSch2Svc'
- 'AdobeARMservice'
- 'AHS Service'
- 'Antivirus'
- 'Apache4'
- 'ARSM'
- 'aswBcc'
- 'AteraAgent'
- 'Avast Business Console Client Antivirus Service'
- 'avast! Antivirus'
- 'AVG Antivirus'
- 'avgAdminClient'
- 'AvgAdminServer'
- 'AVP1'
- 'BackupExec'
- 'bedbg'
- 'BITS'
- 'BrokerInfrastructure'
- 'CASLicenceServer'
- 'CASWebServer'
- 'Client Agent 7.60'
- 'Core Browsing Protection'
- 'Core Mail Protection'
- 'Core Scanning Server'
- 'DCAgent'
- 'dwmrcs'
- 'EhttpSr'
- 'ekrn'
- 'Enterprise Client Service'
- 'epag'
- 'EPIntegrationService'
- 'EPProtectedService'
- 'EPRedline'
- 'EPSecurityService'
- 'EPUpdateService'
- 'EraserSvc11710'
- 'EsgShKernel'
- 'ESHASRV'
- 'FA_Scheduler'
- 'FirebirdGuardianDefaultInstance'
- 'FirebirdServerDefaultInstance'
- 'FontCache3.0.0.0'
- 'HealthTLService'
- 'hmpalertsvc'
- 'HMS'
- 'HostControllerService'
- 'hvdsvc'
- 'IAStorDataMgrSvc'
- 'IBMHPS'
- 'ibmspsvc'
- 'IISAdmin'
- 'IMANSVC'
- 'IMAP4Svc'
- 'instance2'
- 'KAVFS'
- 'KAVFSGT'
- 'kavfsslp'
- 'KeyIso'
- 'klbackupdisk'
- 'klbackupflt'
- 'klflt'
- 'klhk'
- 'KLIF'
- 'klim6'
- 'klkbdflt'
- 'klmouflt'
- 'klnagent'
- 'klpd'
- 'kltap'
- 'KSDE1.0.0'
- 'LogProcessorService'
- 'M8EndpointAgent'
- 'macmnsvc'
- 'masvc'
- 'MBAMService'
- 'MBCloudEA'
- 'MBEndpointAgent'
- 'McAfeeDLPAgentService'
- 'McAfeeEngineService'
- 'MCAFEEEVENTPARSERSRV'
- 'McAfeeFramework'
- 'MCAFEETOMCATSRV530'
- 'McShield'
- 'McTaskManager'
- 'mfefire'
- 'mfemms'
- 'mfevto'
- 'mfevtp'
- 'mfewc'
- 'MMS'
- 'mozyprobackup'
- 'mpssvc'
- 'MSComplianceAudit'
- 'MSDTC'
- 'MsDtsServer'
- 'MSExchange'
- 'msftesq1SPROO'
- 'msftesql$PROD'
- 'msftesql$SQLEXPRESS'
- 'MSOLAP$SQL_2008'
- 'MSOLAP$SYSTEM_BGC'
- 'MSOLAP$TPS'
- 'MSOLAP$TPSAMA'
- 'MSOLAPSTPS'
- 'MSOLAPSTPSAMA'
- 'mssecflt'
- 'MSSQ!I.SPROFXENGAGEMEHT'
- 'MSSQ0SHAREPOINT'
- 'MSSQ0SOPHOS'
- 'MSSQL'
- 'MSSQLFDLauncher$'
- 'MySQL'
- 'NanoServiceMain'
- 'NetMsmqActivator'
- 'NetPipeActivator'
- 'netprofm'
- 'NetTcpActivator'
- 'NetTcpPortSharing'
- 'ntrtscan'
- 'nvspwmi'
- 'ofcservice'
- 'Online Protection System'
- 'OracleClientCache80'
- 'OracleDBConsole'
- 'OracleMTSRecoveryService'
- 'OracleOraDb11g_home1'
- 'OracleService'
- 'OracleVssWriter'
- 'osppsvc'
- 'PandaAetherAgent'
- 'PccNTUpd'
- 'PDVFSService'
- 'POP3Svc'
- 'postgresql-x64-9.4'
- 'POVFSService'
- 'PSUAService'
- 'Quick Update Service'
- 'RepairService'
- 'ReportServer'
- 'ReportServer$'
- 'RESvc'
- 'RpcEptMapper'
- 'sacsvr'
- 'SamSs'
- 'SAVAdminService'
- 'SAVService'
- 'ScSecSvc'
- 'SDRSVC'
- 'SearchExchangeTracing'
- 'sense'
- 'SentinelAgent'
- 'SentinelHelperService'
- 'SepMasterService'
- 'ShMonitor'
- 'Smcinst'
- 'SmcService'
- 'SMTPSvc'
- 'SNAC'
- 'SntpService'
- 'Sophos'
- 'SQ1SafeOLRService'
- 'SQL Backups'
- 'SQL Server'
- 'SQLAgent'
- 'SQLANYs_Sage_FAS_Fixed_Assets'
- 'SQLBrowser'
- 'SQLsafe'
- 'SQLSERVERAGENT'
- 'SQLTELEMETRY'
- 'SQLWriter'
- 'SSISTELEMETRY130'
- 'SstpSvc'
- 'storflt'
- 'svcGenericHost'
- 'swc_service'
- 'swi_filter'
- 'swi_service'
- 'swi_update'
- 'Symantec'
- 'sysmon'
- 'TeamViewer'
- 'Telemetryserver'
- 'ThreatLockerService'
- 'TMBMServer'
- 'TmCCSF'
- 'TmFilter'
- 'TMiCRCScanService'
- 'tmlisten'
- 'TMLWCSService'
- 'TmPfw'
- 'TmPreFilter'
- 'TmProxy'
- 'TMSmartRelayService'
- 'tmusa'
- 'Tomcat'
- 'Trend Micro Deep Security Manager'
- 'TrueKey'
- 'UFNet'
- 'UI0Detect'
- 'UniFi'
- 'UTODetect'
- 'vds'
- 'Veeam'
- 'VeeamDeploySvc'
- 'Veritas System Recovery'
- 'vmic'
- 'VMTools'
- 'vmvss'
- 'VSApiNt'
- 'VSS'
- 'W3Svc'
- 'wbengine'
- 'WdNisSvc'
- 'WeanClOudSve'
- 'Weems JY'
- 'WinDefend'
- 'wmms'
- 'wozyprobackup'
- 'WPFFontCache_v0400'
- 'WRSVC'
- 'wsbexchange'
- 'WSearch'
- 'wscsvc'
- 'Zoolz 2 Service'
condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
- Administrators or tools shutting down the services due to upgrade or removal purposes. If you experience some false positive, please consider adding filters to the parent process launching this command and not removing the entry
level: high
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
all of selection_*Stage 1: selection_tools_img
selection_tools_img:
- OriginalFileName:
- 'net.exe'
- 'net1.exe'
- 'PowerShell_ISE.EXE'
- 'PowerShell.EXE'
- 'psservice.exe'
- 'pwsh.dll'
- 'sc.exe'
- 'wmic.exe'
- Image|endswith:
- '\net.exe'
- '\net1.exe'
- '\PowerShell_ISE.EXE'
- '\powershell.exe'
- '\PsService.exe'
- '\PsService64.exe'
- '\pwsh.exe'
- '\sc.exe'
- '\wmic.exe'
Stage 2: selection_tools_cli
selection_tools_cli:
- CommandLine|contains:
- ' delete '
- '.delete()'
- ' pause '
- ' stop '
- 'Stop-Service '
- 'Remove-Service '
- CommandLine|contains|all:
- 'config'
- 'start=disabled'
Stage 3: selection_services
selection_services:
CommandLine|contains:
- '143Svc'
- 'Acronis VSS Provider'
- 'AcronisAgent'
- 'AcrSch2Svc'
- 'AdobeARMservice'
- 'AHS Service'
- 'Antivirus'
- 'Apache4'
- 'ARSM'
- 'aswBcc'
- 'AteraAgent'
- 'Avast Business Console Client Antivirus Service'
- 'avast! Antivirus'
- 'AVG Antivirus'
- 'avgAdminClient'
- 'AvgAdminServer'
- 'AVP1'
- 'BackupExec'
- 'bedbg'
- 'BITS'
- 'BrokerInfrastructure'
- 'CASLicenceServer'
- 'CASWebServer'
- 'Client Agent 7.60'
- 'Core Browsing Protection'
- 'Core Mail Protection'
- 'Core Scanning Server'
- 'DCAgent'
- 'dwmrcs'
- 'EhttpSr'
- 'ekrn'
- 'Enterprise Client Service'
- 'epag'
- 'EPIntegrationService'
- 'EPProtectedService'
- 'EPRedline'
- 'EPSecurityService'
- 'EPUpdateService'
- 'EraserSvc11710'
- 'EsgShKernel'
- 'ESHASRV'
- 'FA_Scheduler'
- 'FirebirdGuardianDefaultInstance'
- 'FirebirdServerDefaultInstance'
- 'FontCache3.0.0.0'
- 'HealthTLService'
- 'hmpalertsvc'
- 'HMS'
- 'HostControllerService'
- 'hvdsvc'
- 'IAStorDataMgrSvc'
- 'IBMHPS'
- 'ibmspsvc'
- 'IISAdmin'
- 'IMANSVC'
- 'IMAP4Svc'
- 'instance2'
- 'KAVFS'
- 'KAVFSGT'
- 'kavfsslp'
- 'KeyIso'
- 'klbackupdisk'
- 'klbackupflt'
- 'klflt'
- 'klhk'
- 'KLIF'
- 'klim6'
- 'klkbdflt'
- 'klmouflt'
- 'klnagent'
- 'klpd'
- 'kltap'
- 'KSDE1.0.0'
- 'LogProcessorService'
- 'M8EndpointAgent'
- 'macmnsvc'
- 'masvc'
- 'MBAMService'
- 'MBCloudEA'
- 'MBEndpointAgent'
- 'McAfeeDLPAgentService'
- 'McAfeeEngineService'
- 'MCAFEEEVENTPARSERSRV'
- 'McAfeeFramework'
- 'MCAFEETOMCATSRV530'
- 'McShield'
- 'McTaskManager'
- 'mfefire'
- 'mfemms'
- 'mfevto'
- 'mfevtp'
- 'mfewc'
- 'MMS'
- 'mozyprobackup'
- 'mpssvc'
- 'MSComplianceAudit'
- 'MSDTC'
- 'MsDtsServer'
- 'MSExchange'
- 'msftesq1SPROO'
- 'msftesql$PROD'
- 'msftesql$SQLEXPRESS'
- 'MSOLAP$SQL_2008'
- 'MSOLAP$SYSTEM_BGC'
- 'MSOLAP$TPS'
- 'MSOLAP$TPSAMA'
- 'MSOLAPSTPS'
- 'MSOLAPSTPSAMA'
- 'mssecflt'
- 'MSSQ!I.SPROFXENGAGEMEHT'
- 'MSSQ0SHAREPOINT'
- 'MSSQ0SOPHOS'
- 'MSSQL'
- 'MSSQLFDLauncher$'
- 'MySQL'
- 'NanoServiceMain'
- 'NetMsmqActivator'
- 'NetPipeActivator'
- 'netprofm'
- 'NetTcpActivator'
- 'NetTcpPortSharing'
- 'ntrtscan'
- 'nvspwmi'
- 'ofcservice'
- 'Online Protection System'
- 'OracleClientCache80'
- 'OracleDBConsole'
- 'OracleMTSRecoveryService'
- 'OracleOraDb11g_home1'
- 'OracleService'
- 'OracleVssWriter'
- 'osppsvc'
- 'PandaAetherAgent'
- 'PccNTUpd'
- 'PDVFSService'
- 'POP3Svc'
- 'postgresql-x64-9.4'
- 'POVFSService'
- 'PSUAService'
- 'Quick Update Service'
- 'RepairService'
- 'ReportServer'
- 'ReportServer$'
- 'RESvc'
- 'RpcEptMapper'
- 'sacsvr'
- 'SamSs'
- 'SAVAdminService'
- 'SAVService'
- 'ScSecSvc'
- 'SDRSVC'
- 'SearchExchangeTracing'
- 'sense'
- 'SentinelAgent'
- 'SentinelHelperService'
- 'SepMasterService'
- 'ShMonitor'
- 'Smcinst'
- 'SmcService'
- 'SMTPSvc'
- 'SNAC'
- 'SntpService'
- 'Sophos'
- 'SQ1SafeOLRService'
- 'SQL Backups'
- 'SQL Server'
- 'SQLAgent'
- 'SQLANYs_Sage_FAS_Fixed_Assets'
- 'SQLBrowser'
- 'SQLsafe'
- 'SQLSERVERAGENT'
- 'SQLTELEMETRY'
- 'SQLWriter'
- 'SSISTELEMETRY130'
- 'SstpSvc'
- 'storflt'
- 'svcGenericHost'
- 'swc_service'
- 'swi_filter'
- 'swi_service'
- 'swi_update'
- 'Symantec'
- 'sysmon'
- 'TeamViewer'
- 'Telemetryserver'
- 'ThreatLockerService'
- 'TMBMServer'
- 'TmCCSF'
- 'TmFilter'
- 'TMiCRCScanService'
- 'tmlisten'
- 'TMLWCSService'
- 'TmPfw'
- 'TmPreFilter'
- 'TmProxy'
- 'TMSmartRelayService'
- 'tmusa'
- 'Tomcat'
- 'Trend Micro Deep Security Manager'
- 'TrueKey'
- 'UFNet'
- 'UI0Detect'
- 'UniFi'
- 'UTODetect'
- 'vds'
- 'Veeam'
- 'VeeamDeploySvc'
- 'Veritas System Recovery'
- 'vmic'
- 'VMTools'
- 'vmvss'
- 'VSApiNt'
- 'VSS'
- 'W3Svc'
- 'wbengine'
- 'WdNisSvc'
- 'WeanClOudSve'
- 'Weems JY'
- 'WinDefend'
- 'wmms'
- 'wozyprobackup'
- 'WPFFontCache_v0400'
- 'WRSVC'
- 'wsbexchange'
- 'WSearch'
- 'wscsvc'
- 'Zoolz 2 Service'
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 |
|---|---|---|
CommandLine | match |
|
Image | ends_with |
|
OriginalFileName | eq |
|