Sigma rule: Time Machine Backup Disabled Via Tmutil - MacOS

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-97a0f4c7e2a4, updated 2024-05-29T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Time Machine Backup Disabled Via Tmutil - MacOS
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Pratinav Chandra
Date
2024-05-29
File
rules/macos/process_creation/proc_creation_macos_tmutil_disable_backup.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects disabling of Time Machine (Apple's automated backup utility software) via the native macOS backup utility "tmutil".
An attacker can use this to prevent backups from occurring.

Log source

product
macos
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '/tmutil'
    - CommandLine|contains: 'tmutil'
selection_cmd:
    CommandLine|contains: 'disable'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Legitimate administrator activity

Tags

  • attack.impact
  • attack.t1490

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

References

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

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Time Machine Backup Disabled Via Tmutil - MacOS" by Pratinav Chandra (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/macos/process_creation/proc_creation_macos_tmutil_disable_backup.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: Time Machine Backup Disabled Via Tmutil - MacOS",
entity page, dataset version ref-97a0f4c7e2a4, updated 2024-05-29T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/2c95fa8a-8b8d-4787-afce-7117ceb8e3da (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 2c95fa8a-8b8d-4787-afce-7117ceb8e3da, 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.