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Shadow Copy Deletions

Description

This rule detects when Shadow Copies are being deleted. This is a know actions that is performed by threat actors. This query detects know commands that have been used by the ransomware actors. Some information from Mitre Attack: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1490/
Rule type
Scheduled
Version
1.0.0
Declared status
Available
Query frequency
1h
Query period
1h
Trigger
gt 0

Declared MITRE coverage

Declared sources

Metadata from the source file. No dependencies inferred from KQL.

Connectors

Data types

KQL query

Original query, unchanged.

let CommonRansomwareExecutionCommands = dynamic([@'vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /quiet', 
@'wmic.exe shadowcopy delete', @'wbadmin delete catalog -quiet', 
@'Get-WmiObject Win32_Shadowcopy | ForEach-Object {$_.Delete();}',
@'del /s /f /q c:\*.VHD c:\*.bac c:\*.bak c:\*.wbcat c:\*.bkf c:\Backup*.* c:\backup*.* c:\*.set c:\*.win c:\*.dsk', 
@'wbadmin delete systemstatebackup -keepVersions:0', 
@'schtasks.exe /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\SystemRestore\SR" /disable', 
@'schtasks.exe /Change /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\SystemRestore\SR" /enable >nul 2>&1', 
@'reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\SystemRestore" /v "DisableConfig" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f', 
@'reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\SystemRestore" /v "DisableSR" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f', 
@'reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore" /v "DisableConfig" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f', 
@'reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore" /v "DisableSR" /t "REG_DWORD" /d "1" /f', 
@'reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\SystemRestore" /v "DisableConfig" /f >nul 2>&1', 
@'reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\SystemRestore" /v "DisableSR" /f >nul 2>&1', 
@'reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore" /v "DisableConfig" /f >nul 2>&1', 
@'reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore" /v "DisableSR" /f >nul 2>&1']);
DeviceProcessEvents
| where ProcessCommandLine has_any (CommonRansomwareExecutionCommands)
| project-reorder TimeGenerated, ProcessCommandLine, DeviceName, AccountName
| extend HostName = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, 0, indexof(DeviceName, '.')), DeviceName)
| extend DnsDomain = iff(DeviceName has '.', substring(DeviceName, indexof(DeviceName, '.') + 1), "")

Declared entities

HostAccountProcess

Related content

Links established from declared identifiers and solution manifests.

Source provenance

GitHub

Displayed values come from files in Azure/Azure-Sentinel. They describe the published template, not your workspace configuration.

Source identifier
28c63a44-2d35-48b7-831b-3ed24af17c7e
Additional source files 2Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Analytic Rules/Ransomware/ShadowCopyDeletion.yamlsource ↗Solutions/Microsoft Defender XDR/Data/Solution_Microsoft Defender XDR.jsonsolution-membership ↗
GSTEP / CATALOG TRACKING

Added to catalog : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC
Last change observed : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC

GSTEP sync dates, separate from the source content’s publication dates.