Clearing Windows Event Logs

edit

Identifies attempts to clear Windows event log stores. This is often done by attackers in an attempt to evade detection or destroy forensic evidence on a system.

Rule type: query

Rule indices:

  • winlogbeat-*
  • logs-endpoint.events.*

Severity: low

Risk score: 21

Runs every: 5 minutes

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

Tags:

  • Elastic
  • Host
  • Windows
  • Threat Detection
  • Defense Evasion

Version: 5 (version history)

Added (Elastic Stack release): 7.6.0

Last modified (Elastic Stack release): 7.10.0

Rule authors: Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License

Rule query

edit
event.category:process and event.type:(start or process_started) and
process.name:wevtutil.exe and process.args:cl or
process.name:powershell.exe and process.args:Clear-EventLog

Threat mapping

edit

Framework: MITRE ATT&CKTM

Rule version history

edit
Version 5 (7.10.0 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 4 (7.9.1 release)
  • Formatting only
Version 3 (7.9.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    process.name:wevtutil.exe and process.args:cl or
    process.name:powershell.exe and process.args:Clear-EventLog
Version 2 (7.7.0 release)
  • Updated query, changed from:

    event.action:"Process Create (rule: ProcessCreate)" and
    (process.name:"wevtutil.exe" and process.args:"cl") or
    (process.name:"powershell.exe" and process.args:"Clear-EventLog")