Volume Shadow Copy Deleted or Resized via VssAdmin

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Volume Shadow Copy Deleted or Resized via VssAdmin

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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: 11 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.1.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

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process where event.type in ("start", "process_started") 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&CKTM

Rule version history

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Version 11 (8.1.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    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*"
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")