Sigma rule: Suspicious Windows Service Tampering

Rule

Title

Suspicious Windows Service Tampering

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), frack113 , X__Junior (Nextron Systems)

Date

2022-09-01

Modified

2026-10-17

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_susp_service_tamper.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the usage of binaries such as 'net', 'sc' or 'powershell' in order to stop, pause, disable or delete critical or important Windows services such as AV, Backup, etc. As seen being used in some ransomware scripts

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_tools_img:
    - OriginalFileName:
          - 'net.exe'
          - 'net1.exe'
          - 'PowerShell_ISE.EXE'
          - 'PowerShell.EXE'
          - 'psservice.exe'
          - 'pwsh.dll'
          - 'sc.exe'
          - 'wmic.exe'
    - Image|endswith:
          - '\net.exe'
          - '\net1.exe'
          - '\PowerShell_ISE.EXE'
          - '\powershell.exe'
          - '\PsService.exe'
          - '\PsService64.exe'
          - '\pwsh.exe'
          - '\sc.exe'
          - '\wmic.exe' # wmic process call win32_service where name='servicename' delete
selection_tools_cli:
    - CommandLine|contains:
          - ' delete '
          - '.delete()' # Get-WmiObject win32_service -Filter "name='$serviceName'" ).delete()
          - ' pause ' # Covers flags from: PsService and Sc.EXE
          - ' stop ' # Covers flags from: PsService.EXE, Net.EXE and Sc.EXE
          - 'Stop-Service '
          - 'Remove-Service '
    - CommandLine|contains|all:
          - 'config'
          - 'start=disabled'
selection_services:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '143Svc'
        - 'aakore'
        - 'Acronis VSS Provider'
        - 'AcronisActiveProtectionService'
        - 'AcronisAgent'
        - 'AcronisCyberProtectionService'
        - 'AcrSch2Svc'
        - 'AdobeARMservice'
        - 'AHS Service'
        - 'Antivirus'
        - 'Apache4'
        - 'ARSM'
        - 'aswBcc'
        - 'AteraAgent'
        - 'Avast Business Console Client Antivirus Service'
        - 'avast! Antivirus'
        - 'AVG Antivirus'
        - 'avgAdminClient'
        - 'AvgAdminServer'
        - 'AVP1'
        - 'BackupExec'
        - 'bedbg'
        - 'BITS'
        - 'BrokerInfrastructure'
        - 'CASLicenceServer'
        - 'CASWebServer'
        - 'Client Agent 7.60'
        - 'Core Browsing Protection'
        - 'Core Mail Protection'
        - 'Core Scanning Server'
        - 'DCAgent'
        - 'dwmrcs'
        - 'EhttpSr'
        - 'ekrn'
        - 'Enterprise Client Service'
        - 'epag'
        - 'EPIntegrationService'
        - 'EPProtectedService'
        - 'EPRedline'
        - 'EPSecurityService'
        - 'EPUpdateService'
        - 'EraserSvc11710'
        - 'EsgShKernel'
        - 'ESHASRV'
        - 'FA_Scheduler'
        - 'FirebirdGuardianDefaultInstance'
        - 'FirebirdServerDefaultInstance'
        - 'FontCache3.0.0.0'
        - 'HealthTLService'
        - 'hmpalertsvc'
        - 'HMS'
        - 'HostControllerService'
        - 'hvdsvc'
        - 'IAStorDataMgrSvc'
        - 'IBMHPS'
        - 'ibmspsvc'
        - 'IISAdmin'
        - 'IMANSVC'
        - 'IMAP4Svc'
        - 'instance2'
        - 'KAVFS'
        - 'KAVFSGT'
        - 'kavfsslp'
        - 'KeyIso'
        - 'klbackupdisk'
        - 'klbackupflt'
        - 'klflt'
        - 'klhk'
        - 'KLIF'
        - 'klim6'
        - 'klkbdflt'
        - 'klmouflt'
        - 'klnagent'
        - 'klpd'
        - 'kltap'
        - 'KSDE1.0.0'
        - 'LogProcessorService'
        - 'M8EndpointAgent'
        - 'macmnsvc'
        - 'masvc'
        - 'MBAMService'
        - 'MBCloudEA'
        - 'MBEndpointAgent'
        - 'McAfeeDLPAgentService'
        - 'McAfeeEngineService'
        - 'MCAFEEEVENTPARSERSRV'
        - 'McAfeeFramework'
        - 'MCAFEETOMCATSRV530'
        - 'McShield'
        - 'McTaskManager'
        - 'mfefire'
        - 'mfemms'
        - 'mfevto'
        - 'mfevtp'
        - 'mfewc'
        - 'MMS'
        - 'mozyprobackup'
        - 'mpssvc'
        - 'MSComplianceAudit'
        - 'MSDTC'
        - 'MsDtsServer'
        - 'MSExchange'
        - 'msftesq1SPROO'
        - 'msftesql$PROD'
        - 'msftesql$SQLEXPRESS'
        - 'MSOLAP$SQL_2008'
        - 'MSOLAP$SYSTEM_BGC'
        - 'MSOLAP$TPS'
        - 'MSOLAP$TPSAMA'
        - 'MSOLAPSTPS'
        - 'MSOLAPSTPSAMA'
        - 'mssecflt'
        - 'MSSQ!I.SPROFXENGAGEMEHT'
        - 'MSSQ0SHAREPOINT'
        - 'MSSQ0SOPHOS'
        - 'MSSQL'
        - 'MSSQLFDLauncher$'
        - 'MySQL'
        - 'NanoServiceMain'
        - 'NetMsmqActivator'
        - 'NetPipeActivator'
        - 'netprofm'
        - 'NetTcpActivator'
        - 'NetTcpPortSharing'
        - 'ntrtscan'
        - 'nvspwmi'
        - 'ofcservice'
        - 'Online Protection System'
        - 'OracleClientCache80'
        - 'OracleDBConsole'
        - 'OracleMTSRecoveryService'
        - 'OracleOraDb11g_home1'
        - 'OracleService'
        - 'OracleVssWriter'
        - 'osppsvc'
        - 'PandaAetherAgent'
        - 'PccNTUpd'
        - 'PDVFSService'
        - 'POP3Svc'
        - 'postgresql-x64-9.4'
        - 'POVFSService'
        - 'PSUAService'
        - 'Quick Update Service'
        - 'RepairService'
        - 'ReportServer'
        - 'ReportServer$'
        - 'RESvc'
        - 'RpcEptMapper'
        - 'sacsvr'
        - 'SamSs'
        - 'SAVAdminService'
        - 'SAVService'
        - 'ScSecSvc'
        - 'SDRSVC'
        - 'SearchExchangeTracing'
        - 'sense'
        - 'SentinelAgent'
        - 'SentinelHelperService'
        - 'SepMasterService'
        - 'ShMonitor'
        - 'Smcinst'
        - 'SmcService'
        - 'SMTPSvc'
        - 'SNAC'
        - 'SntpService'
        - 'Sophos'
        - 'SQ1SafeOLRService'
        - 'SQL Backups'
        - 'SQL Server'
        - 'SQLAgent'
        - 'SQLANYs_Sage_FAS_Fixed_Assets'
        - 'SQLBrowser'
        - 'SQLsafe'
        - 'SQLSERVERAGENT'
        - 'SQLTELEMETRY'
        - 'SQLWriter'
        - 'SSISTELEMETRY130'
        - 'SstpSvc'
        - 'storflt'
        - 'svcGenericHost'
        - 'swc_service'
        - 'swi_filter'
        - 'swi_service'
        - 'swi_update'
        - 'Symantec'
        - 'sysmon'
        - 'TeamViewer'
        - 'Telemetryserver'
        - 'ThreatLockerService'
        - 'TMBMServer'
        - 'TmCCSF'
        - 'TmFilter'
        - 'TMiCRCScanService'
        - 'tmlisten'
        - 'TMLWCSService'
        - 'TmPfw'
        - 'TmPreFilter'
        - 'TmProxy'
        - 'TMSmartRelayService'
        - 'tmusa'
        - 'Tomcat'
        - 'Trend Micro Deep Security Manager'
        - 'TrueKey'
        - 'UFNet'
        - 'UI0Detect'
        - 'UniFi'
        - 'UTODetect'
        - 'vds'
        - 'Veeam'
        - 'VeeamDeploySvc'
        - 'Veritas System Recovery'
        - 'vmic'
        - 'VMTools'
        - 'vmvss'
        - 'VSApiNt'
        - 'VSS'
        - 'W3Svc'
        - 'wbengine'
        - 'WdNisSvc'
        - 'WeanClOudSve'
        - 'Weems JY'
        - 'WinDefend'
        - 'wmms'
        - 'wozyprobackup'
        - 'WPFFontCache_v0400'
        - 'WRSVC'
        - 'wsbexchange'
        - 'WSearch'
        - 'wscsvc'
        - 'Zoolz 2 Service'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Administrators or tools shutting down the services due to upgrade or removal purposes. If you experience some false positive, please consider adding filters to the parent process launching this command and not removing the entry

Tags

• attack.impact
• attack.defense-impairment
• attack.t1489
• attack.t1685

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1489
• T1685

Related rules

• eb87818d-db5d-49cc-a987-d5da331fbd90 (obsolete)
• 6783aa9e-0dc3-49d4-a94a-8b39c5fd700b (obsolete)
• 7fd4bb39-12d0-45ab-bb36-cebabc73dc7b (obsolete)

References

• https://www.trendmicro.com/content/dam/trendmicro/global/en/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus/Genshin%20Impact%20Figure%2010.jpg
• https://www.trellix.com/en-sg/about/newsroom/stories/threat-labs/lockergoga-ransomware-family-used-in-targeted-attacks.html
• https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1562.001/T1562.001.md
• https://research.nccgroup.com/2022/08/19/back-in-black-unlocking-a-lockbit-3-0-ransomware-attack/
• https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/38283b775552da8981452941ea74191aa0d203edd3f61fb2dee7b0aea3514955
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/cimwin32prov/delete-method-in-class-win32-service

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_susp_service_tamper.yml