Detection rules › Sigma

VSS backup deletion or resize

Status
experimental
Severity
high
Log source
product windows, category process_creation
Author
mdecrevoisier
Source
github.com/mdecrevoisier/SIGMA-detection-rules

Detects scenarios where an attacker attempts to delete or resize existing VSS backup.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

TacticTechniques
ImpactT1490 Inhibit System Recovery

Event coverage

Rule body yaml

title: VSS backup deletion or resize
description: Detects scenarios where an attacker attempts to delete or resize existing VSS backup.
references:
- https://www.picussecurity.com/resource/blog/how-to-beat-nefilim-ransomware-attacks
- https://www.itechtics.com/volume-shadow-copies/
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/wbadmin
- https://www.picussecurity.com/resource/blog/technique-to-delete-volume-shadow-copies-deviceiocontrol
- https://thedfirreport.com/2021/12/13/diavol-ransomware/
- https://www.mandiant.com/resources/chasing-avaddon-ransomware
- https://blogs.vmware.com/security/2022/09/threat-report-illuminating-volume-shadow-deletion.html
- https://fourcore.io/blogs/ryuk-ransomware-simulation-mitre-ttp
tags:
- attack.impact
- attack.t1490
author: mdecrevoisier
status: experimental
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: process_creation
detection:
  selection_baseline: 
    EventID: 4688
    NewProcessName|endswith: '\vssadmin.exe'

  selection_delete: # "vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /quiet" 
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - shadows
      - delete
  selection_resize: # "vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=c: /on=c: /maxsize=401MB"
    CommandLine|contains|all:
      - resize
      - shadowstorage
  condition: selection_baseline and (selection_delete or selection_resize)
falsepositives:
- administrator cleaning outdated backup
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

selection_baseline and (selection_delete or selection_resize)

Stage 1: selection_baseline

selection_baseline:
  EventID: 4688
  NewProcessName|endswith: '\vssadmin.exe'

Stage 2: selection_delete

selection_delete:
  CommandLine|contains|all:
    - shadows
    - delete

Stage 3: selection_resize

selection_resize:
  CommandLine|contains|all:
    - resize
    - shadowstorage

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.

FieldKindValues
CommandLinematch
  • delete corpus 23 (sigma 16, splunk 6, kusto 1)
  • resize corpus 4 (sigma 3, splunk 1)
  • shadows corpus 3 (sigma 3)
  • shadowstorage corpus 4 (sigma 3, splunk 1)
NewProcessNameends_with
  • \vssadmin.exe corpus 6 (sigma 6)