IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates
will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the
current release documentation.
Clearing Windows Event Logs
editClearing Windows Event Logs
editIdentifies attempts to clear or disable Windows event log stores using Windows wevetutil command. This is often done by attackers in an attempt to evade detection or destroy forensic evidence on a system.
Rule type: eql
Rule indices:
- winlogbeat-*
- logs-endpoint.events.*
- logs-windows.*
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: 12 (version history)
Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0
Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 8.2.0
Rule authors: Elastic
Rule license: Elastic License v2
Investigation guide
edit## Config If enabling an EQL rule on a non-elastic-agent index (such as beats) for versions <8.2, events will not define `event.ingested` and default fallback for EQL rules was not added until 8.2, so you will need to add a custom pipeline to populate `event.ingested` to @timestamp for this rule to work.
Rule query
editprocess where event.type in ("process_started", "start") and (process.name : "wevtutil.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "wevtutil.exe") and process.args : ("/e:false", "cl", "clear-log") or process.name : ("powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "powershell_ise.exe") and process.args : "Clear-EventLog"
Threat mapping
editFramework: MITRE ATT&CKTM
-
Tactic:
- Name: Defense Evasion
- ID: TA0005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0005/
-
Technique:
- Name: Indicator Removal on Host
- ID: T1070
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1070/
Rule version history
edit- Version 12 (8.2.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- Version 11 (7.16.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
process where event.type in ("process_started", "start") and (process.name : "wevtutil.exe" or process.pe.original_file_name == "wevtutil.exe") and process.args : ("/e:false", "cl", "clear-log") or process.name : "powershell.exe" and process.args : "Clear- EventLog"
-
- Version 9 (7.13.0 release)
-
-
Updated query, changed from:
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"
-
- Version 8 (7.12.0 release)
-
- Formatting only
- 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")
-