Volume Shadow Copy Deleted or Resized via VssAdmin

Identifies use of vssadmin.exe for shadow copy deletion or resizing on endpoints. This commonly occurs in tandem with ransomware or other destructive attacks.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.*
logs-windows.*

Severity: high

Risk score: 73

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
Impact

Version: 10 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.16.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
event.action == "start" and (process.name : "vssadmin.exe" or
process.pe.original_file_name == "VSSADMIN.EXE") and process.args in
("delete", "resize") and process.args : "shadows*"

Threat mapping

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Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Impact
- ID: TA0040
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0040/
Technique:
- Name: Inhibit System Recovery
- ID: T1490
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1490/

Rule version history

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Version 10 (7.16.0 release)

Rule name changed from: Volume Shadow Copy Deletion via VssAdmin

Updated query, changed from:

process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") and
(process.name : "vssadmin.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name ==
"VSSADMIN.EXE") and process.args : "delete" and process.args :
"shadows"

Version 9 (7.13.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.name:vssadmin.exe and process.args:(delete and shadows)

Version 8 (7.12.0 release)

Formatting only

Version 7 (7.11.2 release)

Formatting only

Version 6 (7.11.0 release)

Formatting only

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:vssadmin.exe and process.args:(delete and shadows)

Version 2 (7.7.0 release)

Updated query, changed from:

event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
process.name:"vssadmin.exe" and process.args:("delete" and "shadows")

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