LoFP LoFP / legitimate administrator usage of vssadmin or wmic will create false positives.

Techniques

Sample rules

Creation of Shadow Copy

Description

The following analytic detects the creation of shadow copies using Vssadmin or Wmic. It leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process execution logs that include command-line details. This activity is significant because creating shadow copies can be a precursor to ransomware attacks or data exfiltration, allowing attackers to bypass file locks and access sensitive data. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could enable attackers to maintain persistence, recover deleted files, or prepare for further malicious activities, posing a significant risk to the integrity and confidentiality of the system.

Detection logic


| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime FROM datamodel=Endpoint.Processes
  WHERE (
        Processes.process_name=vssadmin.exe Processes.process=*create* Processes.process=*shadow*
    )
    OR (Processes.process_name=wmic.exe Processes.process=*shadowcopy* Processes.process=*create*)
  BY Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name
     Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid
     Processes.parent_process_id Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path
     Processes.process Processes.process_exec Processes.process_guid
     Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level
     Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user
     Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product

| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`

| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`

| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`

| `creation_of_shadow_copy_filter`