Third-party Backup Files Deleted via Unexpected Process

Last updated 2 months ago on 2025-03-20
Created 4 years ago on 2021-10-01

About

Identifies the deletion of backup files, saved using third-party software, by a process outside of the backup suite. Adversaries may delete Backup files to ensure that recovery from a ransomware attack is less likely.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: ImpactData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: SentinelOneLanguage: eql
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

Impact (TA0040)(opens in a new tab or window)

False Positive Examples
Certain utilities that delete files for disk cleanup or Administrators manually removing backup files.
License
Elastic License v2(opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
logs-endpoint.events.file-*endgame-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*
Related Integrations

endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)

sentinel_one_cloud_funnel(opens in a new tab or window)

Query
file where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "deletion" and
  (
    /* Veeam Related Backup Files */
    (
      file.extension : ("VBK", "VIB", "VBM") and
      not (
        process.executable : ("?:\\Windows\\*", "?:\\Program Files\\*", "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\*") and
        (process.code_signature.trusted == true and process.code_signature.subject_name : ("Veeam Software Group GmbH", "Veeam Software AG"))
      )
    ) or
    /* Veritas Backup Exec Related Backup File */
    (
      file.extension : "BKF" and
        not process.executable : (
          "?:\\Program Files\\Veritas\\Backup Exec\\*",
          "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Veritas\\Backup Exec\\*"
        )
    )
  ) and
  not (
    process.name : ("MSExchangeMailboxAssistants.exe", "Microsoft.PowerBI.EnterpriseGateway.exe") and
      (process.code_signature.subject_name : "Microsoft Corporation" and process.code_signature.trusted == true)
  ) and
  not file.path : (
    "?:\\ProgramData\\Trend Micro\\*",
    "?:\\Program Files (x86)\\Trend Micro\\*",
    "?:\\$RECYCLE.BIN\\*"
  )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Third-party Backup Files Deleted via Unexpected Process in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(opens in a new tab or window).