Sigma rule: Deleted Data Overwritten Via Cipher.EXE

Rule

Title

Deleted Data Overwritten Via Cipher.EXE

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

frack113

Date

2021-12-26

Modified

2023-02-21

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_cipher_overwrite_deleted_data.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects usage of the "cipher" built-in utility in order to overwrite deleted data from disk.
Adversaries may destroy data and files on specific systems or in large numbers on a network to interrupt availability to systems, services, and network resources.
Data destruction is likely to render stored data irrecoverable by forensic techniques through overwriting files or data on local and remote drives

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - OriginalFileName: 'CIPHER.EXE'
    - Image|endswith: '\cipher.exe'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|contains: ' /w:'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unknown

Tags

• attack.impact
• attack.t1485

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1485

References

• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1485/T1485.md#atomic-test-3---overwrite-deleted-data-on-c-drive

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_cipher_overwrite_deleted_data.yml