Sigma rule: Windows Update Error

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-92c798db921e, updated 2023-09-07T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title: Windows Update Error
Status: stable
Level: informational
Author: frack113
Date: 2021-12-04
Modified: 2023-09-07
File: rules/windows/builtin/system/microsoft_windows_windows_update_client/win_system_susp_system_update_error.yml
Commit: ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects Windows update errors including installation failures and connection issues. Defenders should observe this in case critical update KBs aren't installed.

Log source

product: windows
service: system

Detection

selection:
    Provider_Name: Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient
    EventID:
        - 16 # Unable to Connect: Windows is unable to connect to the automatic updates service and therefore cannot download and install updates according to the set schedule
        - 20 # Installation Failure: Windows failed to install the following update with error
        - 24 # Uninstallation Failure: Windows failed to uninstall the following update with error
        - 213 # Revert Failure: Windows failed to revert the following update with error
        - 217 # Commit Failure: Windows failed to commit the following update with error
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

Unknown

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

T1584

References

https://github.com/nasbench/EVTX-ETW-Resources/blob/f1b010ce0ee1b71e3024180de1a3e67f99701fe4/ETWProvidersManifests/Windows10/1903/W10_1903_Pro_20200714_18362.959/WEPExplorer/Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient.xml

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/builtin/system/microsoft_windows_windows_update_client/win_system_susp_system_update_error.yml

Sources and licences

SigmaHQ
"Windows Update Error" by frack113 (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/builtin/system/microsoft_windows_windows_update_client/win_system_susp_system_update_error.yml.
Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License
Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Windows Update Error",
entity page, dataset version ref-92c798db921e, updated 2023-09-07T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/13cfeb75-9e33-4d04-b0f7-ab8faaa95a59 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 13cfeb75-9e33-4d04-b0f7-ab8faaa95a59, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.