Sigma rule: Greedy File Deletion Using Del

Rule

Title

Greedy File Deletion Using Del

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

frack113 , X__Junior (Nextron Systems)

Date

2021-12-02

Modified

2023-09-11

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_cmd_del_greedy_deletion.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects execution of the "del" builtin command to remove files using greedy/wildcard expression. This is often used by malware to delete content of folders that perhaps contains the initial malware infection or to delete evidence.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

# Example:
#   del C:\ProgramData\*.dll & exit
selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\cmd.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'Cmd.Exe'
selection_del:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'del '
        - 'erase '
selection_extensions:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '\\\*.au3'
        - '\\\*.dll'
        - '\\\*.exe'
        - '\\\*.js'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.stealth
• attack.t1070.004

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1070.004

References

• https://www.joesandbox.com/analysis/509330/0/html#1044F3BDBE3BB6F734E357235F4D5898582D
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/erase

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/process_creation/proc_creation_win_cmd_del_greedy_deletion.yml