Clearing Windows Event Logs

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Identifies attempts to clear Windows event log stores. This is often done by attackers in an attempt to evade detection or destroy forensic evidence on a system.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Defense Evasion

Version: 7 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.11.2

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License

Rule query

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event.category:process and event.type:(process_started or start) and
(process.name:"wevtutil.exe" or
process.pe.original_file_name:"wevtutil.exe") and
process.args:("/e:false" or cl or "clear-log") or
process.name:"powershell.exe" and process.args:"Clear-EventLog"

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version history

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Version 7 (7.11.2 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 6 (7.11.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
    process.name:wevtutil.exe and process.args:cl or
    process.name:powershell.exe and process.args:Clear-EventLog
Version 5 (7.10.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 4 (7.9.1 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.9.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    process.name:wevtutil.exe and process.args:cl or
    process.name:powershell.exe and process.args:Clear-EventLog
Version 2 (7.7.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    (process.name:"wevtutil.exe" and process.args:"cl") or
    (process.name:"powershell.exe" and process.args:"Clear-EventLog")