Sigma rule: Veeam Backup Database Suspicious Query

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-a72e2c6b0403, updated 2023-05-04T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Veeam Backup Database Suspicious Query
Status
test
Level
medium
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2023-05-04
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_sqlcmd_veeam_db_recon.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potentially suspicious SQL queries using SQLCmd targeting the Veeam backup databases in order to steal information.

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_sql:
    Image|endswith: '\sqlcmd.exe'
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - 'VeeamBackup'
        - 'From '
selection_db:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'BackupRepositories'
        - 'Backups'
        - 'Credentials'
        - 'HostCreds'
        - 'SmbFileShares'
        - 'Ssh_creds'
        - 'VSphereInfo'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.collection
  • attack.t1005

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/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_sqlcmd_veeam_db_recon.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Veeam Backup Database Suspicious Query" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_sqlcmd_veeam_db_recon.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: Veeam Backup Database Suspicious Query",
entity page, dataset version ref-a72e2c6b0403, updated 2023-05-04T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/696bfb54-227e-4602-ac5b-30d9d2053312 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 696bfb54-227e-4602-ac5b-30d9d2053312, 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.