Windows Security And Backup Services Stop

name: Windows Security And Backup Services Stop
id: 9c24aef6-cad9-4931-acce-74318aa5663b
version: 6
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the suspicious termination of known services commonly targeted by ransomware before file encryption. It leverages Windows System Event Logs (EventCode 7036) to identify when critical services such as Volume Shadow Copy, backup, and antivirus services are stopped. This activity is significant because ransomware often disables these services to avoid errors and ensure successful file encryption. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could lead to widespread data encryption, rendering files inaccessible and potentially causing significant operational disruption and data loss.
data_source:
    - Windows Event Log System 7036
search: |-
    `wineventlog_system`
    `normalized_service_binary_field`
    | rename param1 as display_name
    | where param2="stopped" AND (match(display_name, "(?i)(Volume Shadow Copy|VSS|backup|sophos|sql|memtas|mepocs|veeam|svc\$|DefWatch|ccEvtMgr|ccSetMgr|SavRoam|RTVscan|QBFCService|QBIDPService|Intuit\.QuickBooks\.FCS|QBCFMonitorService|YooBackup|YooIT|Veeam|PDVFSService|BackupExec|WdBoot|WdFilter|WdNisDrv|WdNisSvc|WinDefend|wscsvc|Sense|sppsvc|SecurityHealthService)") OR match(normalized_service_name, "(?i)(Volume Shadow Copy|VSS|backup|sophos|sql|memtas|mepocs|veeam|svc\$|DefWatch|ccEvtMgr|ccSetMgr|SavRoam|RTVscan|QBFCService|QBIDPService|Intuit\.QuickBooks\.FCS|QBCFMonitorService|YooBackup|YooIT|Veeam|PDVFSService|BackupExec|WdBoot|WdFilter|WdNisDrv|WdNisSvc|WinDefend|wscsvc|Sense|sppsvc|SecurityHealthService)"))

    | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by EventCode display_name dest normalized_service_name
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | `windows_security_and_backup_services_stop_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting logs with the 7036 EventCode ScManager in System audit Logs from your endpoints.
known_false_positives: Admin activities or installing related updates may do a sudden stop to list of services we monitor.
references:
    - https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/05/a-closer-look-at-the-darkside-ransomware-gang/
    - https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/other-blogs/mcafee-labs/mcafee-atr-analyzes-sodinokibi-aka-revil-ransomware-as-a-service-what-the-code-tells-us/
    - https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2020/04/24/lockbit-ransomware-borrows-tricks-to-keep-up-with-revil-and-maze/
    - https://blogs.vmware.com/security/2022/10/lockbit-3-0-also-known-as-lockbit-black.html
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") 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: Known services $display_name$ terminated by a potential ransomware on $dest$
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects:
        - field: display_name
          type: service
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - LockBit Ransomware
        - Ransomware
        - Compromised Windows Host
        - BlackMatter Ransomware
        - Termite Ransomware
        - Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters
        - Hellcat 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/T1490/known_services_killed_by_ransomware/windows-xml.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:System
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog