Sigma rule: Clearing Windows Console History

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-e6702e94e371, updated 2022-12-25T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Clearing Windows Console History
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Austin Songer @austinsonger
Date
2021-11-25
Modified
2022-12-25
File
rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_clearing_windows_console_history.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Identifies when a user attempts to clear console history. An adversary may clear the command history of a compromised account to conceal the actions undertaken during an intrusion.

Log source

product
windows
category
ps_script
definition
Requirements: Script Block Logging must be enabled

Detection

selection1:
    ScriptBlockText|contains: Clear-History
selection2a:
    ScriptBlockText|contains:
        - Remove-Item
        - rm
selection2b:
    ScriptBlockText|contains:
        - ConsoleHost_history.txt
        - (Get-PSReadlineOption).HistorySavePath
condition: selection1 or selection2a and selection2b

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unknown

Tags

  • attack.stealth
  • attack.t1070
  • attack.t1070.003

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/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_clearing_windows_console_history.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Clearing Windows Console History" by Austin Songer @austinsonger (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_clearing_windows_console_history.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: Clearing Windows Console History",
entity page, dataset version ref-e6702e94e371, updated 2022-12-25T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/bde47d4b-9987-405c-94c7-b080410e8ea7 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule bde47d4b-9987-405c-94c7-b080410e8ea7, 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.