All Backups Deleted Via Wbadmin.EXE

Status: test
Severity: high
Log source: category process_creation, product windows
Author: frack113, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Source: github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects the deletion of all backups or system state backups via "wbadmin.exe". This technique is used by numerous ransomware families and actors. This may only be successful on server platforms that have Windows Backup enabled.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Impact	`T1490` Inhibit System Recovery

Telemetry coverage

Provider	Record / event type
Sysmon	Event ID 1: Process creation

Rule body

title: All Backups Deleted Via Wbadmin.EXE
id: 639c9081-f482-47d3-a0bd-ddee3d4ecd76
related:
    - id: 89f75308-5b1b-4390-b2d8-d6b2340efaf8
      type: derived
status: test
description: |
    Detects the deletion of all backups or system state backups via "wbadmin.exe".
    This technique is used by numerous ransomware families and actors.
    This may only be successful on server platforms that have Windows Backup enabled.
references:
    - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1490/T1490.md#atomic-test-5---windows---delete-volume-shadow-copies-via-wmi-with-powershell
    - https://github.com/albertzsigovits/malware-notes/blob/558898932c1579ff589290092a2c8febefc3a4c9/Ransomware/Lockbit.md
    - https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/ranzy-ransomware-better-encryption-among-new-features-of-thunderx-derivative/
    - https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/ransomware-report-avaddon-and-new-techniques-emerge-industrial-sector-targeted
    - https://www.trendmicro.com/content/dam/trendmicro/global/en/research/24/b/lockbit-attempts-to-stay-afloat-with-a-new-version/technical-appendix-lockbit-ng-dev-analysis.pdf
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/wbadmin-delete-systemstatebackup
author: frack113, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
date: 2021-12-13
modified: 2024-05-10
tags:
    - attack.impact
    - attack.t1490
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_img:
        - Image|endswith: '\wbadmin.exe'
        - OriginalFileName: 'WBADMIN.EXE'
    selection_cli:
        CommandLine|contains|all:
            - 'delete'
            - 'backup' # Also covers "SYSTEMSTATEBACKUP"
        CommandLine|contains: 'keepVersions:0'
    condition: all of selection_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: `condition`

all of selection_*

Stage 1: `selection_img`

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\wbadmin.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'WBADMIN.EXE'

Stage 2: `selection_cli`

selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'delete'
        - 'backup'
    CommandLine|contains: 'keepVersions:0'

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

Field	Kind	Values	Search
`CommandLine`	match	`backup` corpus 6 (sigma 5, splunk 1) `delete` corpus 31 (sigma 16, elastic 8, splunk 6, kusto 1) `keepVersions:0`	`field:"CommandLine" kind:match`
`Image`	ends_with	`\wbadmin.exe` corpus 7 (sigma 7)	`field:"Image" kind:ends_with value:"\wbadmin.exe"`
`OriginalFileName`	eq	`WBADMIN.EXE` corpus 19 (elastic 11, sigma 6, splunk 2)	`field:"OriginalFileName" kind:eq value:"WBADMIN.EXE"`