Delete ShadowCopy With PowerShell

name: Delete ShadowCopy With PowerShell
id: 5ee2bcd0-b2ff-11eb-bb34-acde48001122
version: 11
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the use of PowerShell to delete shadow copies via the WMIC PowerShell module. It leverages EventCode 4104 and searches for specific keywords like "ShadowCopy," "Delete," or "Remove" within the ScriptBlockText. This activity is significant because deleting shadow copies is a common tactic used by ransomware, such as DarkSide, to prevent data recovery. If confirmed malicious, this action could lead to irreversible data loss and hinder recovery efforts, significantly impacting business continuity and data integrity.
data_source:
    - Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
search: |-
    `powershell` EventCode=4104 ScriptBlockText= "*ShadowCopy*" (ScriptBlockText = "*Delete*" OR ScriptBlockText = "*Remove*")
      | fillnull
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY dest signature signature_id
           user_id vendor_product EventID
           Guid Opcode Name
           Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId
           ScriptBlockText
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `delete_shadowcopy_with_powershell_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting logs with the powershell logs  from your endpoints. make sure you enable needed registry to monitor this event.
known_false_positives: No false positives have been identified at this time.
references:
    - https://www.mandiant.com/resources/shining-a-light-on-darkside-ransomware-operations
    - https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/tutorial/Set-up-PowerShell-script-block-logging-for-added-security
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user_id$" and "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user_id = "$user_id$" dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user_id$" and "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user_id$", "$dest$") starthoursago=168  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
    message: An attempt to delete ShadowCopy was performed using PowerShell on $dest$ by $user_id$.
    risk_objects:
        - field: user_id
          type: user
          score: 50
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - DarkSide Ransomware
        - Ransomware
        - Revil Ransomware
        - DarkGate Malware
        - Cactus Ransomware
        - VanHelsing Ransomware
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1490
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1059.001/powershell_script_block_logging/single_event_delete_shadowcopy.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog