Sigma rule: Diskshadow Script Mode Execution

Rule

Title

Diskshadow Script Mode Execution

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Ivan Dyachkov, oscd.community

Date

2020-10-07

Modified

2024-03-13

File

rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_diskshadow_script_mode.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of "Diskshadow.exe" in script mode using the "/s" flag. Attackers often abuse "diskshadow" to execute scripts that deleted the shadow copies on the systems. Investigate the content of the scripts and its location.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - OriginalFileName: 'diskshadow.exe'
    - Image|endswith: '\diskshadow.exe'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains|windash: '-s '
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Likely from legitimate backup scripts

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1218
• attack.execution
• detection.threat-hunting

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1218

Related rules

• fa1a7e52-3d02-435b-81b8-00da14dd66c1 (similar)
• 1dde5376-a648-492e-9e54-4241dd9b0c7f (similar)
• 9f546b25-5f12-4c8d-8532-5893dcb1e4b8 (similar)
• 56b1dde8-b274-435f-a73a-fb75eb81262a (similar)

References

• https://bohops.com/2018/03/26/diskshadow-the-return-of-vss-evasion-persistence-and-active-directory-database-extraction/
• https://www.ired.team/offensive-security/credential-access-and-credential-dumping/ntds.dit-enumeration
• https://medium.com/@cyberjyot/lolbin-execution-via-diskshadow-f6ff681a27a4
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/diskshadow

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_diskshadow_script_mode.yml