数据销毁

数据销毁是指攻击者通过覆盖、删除或其他破坏性手段使目标系统数据不可恢复,旨在破坏业务可用性或掩盖攻击痕迹。传统数据销毁技术通常表现为大规模文件修改、异常磁盘写入或突发性存储资源删除,可通过监控文件系统变更事件、存储I/O模式异常及云平台删除API调用频率进行检测。防御措施包括部署文件完整性监控、实施最小权限访问控制以及建立云操作审计机制。

为规避传统检测手段,攻击者将数据销毁行为重构为具有时序分散性、操作合法化及环境融合性的隐蔽攻击链。通过分阶段任务执行、可信工具滥用和云原生API劫持等手法,将恶意删除操作解构为看似合规的数据管理活动,在维持破坏效果的同时降低行为异常性。

当前数据销毁匿迹技术的核心在于构建多维度伪装体系:加密覆盖销毁通过密码学过程将恶意擦除转化为合法加密操作;合法工具滥用擦除利用系统信任机制规避进程行为分析;时间延迟删除依托长周期任务调度稀释攻击特征;云服务API伪装擦除则深度融入云平台运维生态。四类技术的共性在于突破传统"删除即异常"的检测假设,通过操作场景模拟、系统信任链劫持和攻击节奏控制,使数据销毁行为在权限、时序、协议等多个层面符合正常业务特征,从而绕过基于规则匹配或阈值告警的防护体系。

匿迹技术的发展导致传统依赖文件修改监控和批量删除检测的防御手段逐渐失效,防御方需构建行为意图识别模型,结合数据流谱系分析、云操作上下文感知等技术,实现对伪装删除行为的深度检测,并通过零信任架构实施关键数据的多副本防篡改保护。

ID: T1485
Sub-techniques:  T1485.001, T1485.002, T1485.003, T1485.004
Tactic: 影响释放
Platforms: Containers, IaaS, Linux, Windows, macOS
Impact Type: Availability
Contributors: Brent Murphy, Elastic; David French, Elastic; Joey Lei; Prasad Somasamudram, McAfee; Sekhar Sarukkai, McAfee; Syed Ummar Farooqh, McAfee; Varonis Threat Labs
Version: 1.3
Created: 14 March 2019
Last Modified: 25 September 2024

匿迹效应

效应类型 是否存在
特征伪装
行为透明
数据遮蔽
时空释痕

特征伪装

攻击者通过模拟合法数据管理操作实现恶意删除行为的特征隐匿。例如调用系统内置工具执行覆盖操作,或使用云平台标准API实施资源删除,使数据销毁行为在进程签名、API调用链等维度与正常运维活动高度相似,规避基于操作特征匹配的检测规则。

数据遮蔽

采用加密覆写技术时,攻击过程产生的磁盘写入数据为加密随机流,使得数据恢复工具无法识别原始内容。同时加密操作本身属于常见安全实践,其产生的存储层变化难以与正常加密行为区分,实现了数据销毁痕迹的深度隐藏。

时空释痕

通过分阶段删除和时间延迟策略,将集中式数据销毁任务拆解为长周期、低强度的离散操作。单次删除行为在时间和空间维度均低于检测阈值,同时利用云环境的多区域特性分散操作源头,使得整体攻击特征被稀释在正常业务操作的时间序列和地理分布中。

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
C0034 2022 Ukraine Electric Power Attack

During the 2022 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, Sandworm Team deployed CaddyWiper on the victim’s IT environment systems to wipe files related to the OT capabilities, along with mapped drives, and physical drive partitions.[1]

S1125 AcidRain

AcidRain performs an in-depth wipe of the target filesystem and various attached storage devices through either a data overwrite or calling various IOCTLS to erase it.[2]

S1133 Apostle

Apostle initially masqueraded as ransomware but actual functionality is a data destruction tool, supported by an internal name linked to an early version, wiper-action. Apostle writes random data to original files after an encrypted copy is created, along with resizing the original file to zero and changing time property metadata before finally deleting the original file.[3]

G0082 APT38

APT38 has used a custom secure delete function to make deleted files unrecoverable.[4]

S0089 BlackEnergy

BlackEnergy 2 contains a "Destroy" plug-in that destroys data stored on victim hard drives by overwriting file contents.[5][6]

S0693 CaddyWiper

CaddyWiper can work alphabetically through drives on a compromised system to take ownership of and overwrite all files.[7][8]

S1134 DEADWOOD

DEADWOOD overwrites files on victim systems with random data to effectively destroy them.[3]

S0659 Diavol

Diavol can delete specified files from a targeted system.[9]

S0697 HermeticWiper

HermeticWiper can recursively wipe folders and files in Windows, Program Files, Program Files(x86), PerfLogs, Boot, System, Volume Information, and AppData folders using FSCTL_MOVE_FILE. HermeticWiper can also overwrite symbolic links and big files in My Documents and on the Desktop with random bytes.[10]

S0604 Industroyer

Industroyer’s data wiper module clears registry keys and overwrites both ICS configuration and Windows files.[11]

S0265 Kazuar

Kazuar can overwrite files with random data before deleting them.[12]

S0607 KillDisk

KillDisk deletes system files to make the OS unbootable. KillDisk also targets and deletes files with 35 different file extensions.[13]

G1004 LAPSUS$

LAPSUS$ has deleted the target's systems and resources both on-premises and in the cloud.[14][15]

G0032 Lazarus Group

Lazarus Group has used a custom secure delete function to overwrite file contents with data from heap memory.[16]

S0688 Meteor

Meteor can fill a victim's files and directories with zero-bytes in replacement of real content before deleting them.[17]

S1135 MultiLayer Wiper

MultiLayer Wiper deletes files on network drives, but corrupts and overwrites with random data files stored locally.[18]

S0365 Olympic Destroyer

Olympic Destroyer overwrites files locally and on remote shares.[19][20]

S0139 PowerDuke

PowerDuke has a command to write random data across a file and delete it.[21]

S0238 Proxysvc

Proxysvc can overwrite files indicated by the attacker before deleting them.[22]

S0364 RawDisk

RawDisk was used in Shamoon to write to protected system locations such as the MBR and disk partitions in an effort to destroy data.[23][24]

S0496 REvil

REvil has the capability to destroy files and folders.[25][26][27][27][28][29][30]

G0034 Sandworm Team

Sandworm Team has used CaddyWiper, SDelete, and the BlackEnergy KillDisk component to overwrite files on victim systems. [31][32][1] Additionally, Sandworm Team has used the JUNKMAIL tool to overwrite files with null bytes.[33]

S0195 SDelete

SDelete deletes data in a way that makes it unrecoverable.[34]

S0140 Shamoon

Shamoon attempts to overwrite operating system files and disk structures with image files.[35][36][23] In a later variant, randomly generated data was used for data overwrites.[24][37]

S0380 StoneDrill

StoneDrill has a disk wiper module that targets files other than those in the Windows directory.[38]

S0689 WhisperGate

WhisperGate can corrupt files by overwriting the first 1 MB with 0xcc and appending random extensions.[39][40][41][42][43][44]

S0341 Xbash

Xbash has destroyed Linux-based databases as part of its ransomware capabilities.[45]

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1053 Data Backup

Consider implementing IT disaster recovery plans that contain procedures for taking regular data backups that can be used to restore organizational data.[46] Ensure backups are stored off system and protected from common methods adversaries may use to gain access and destroy the backups to prevent recovery.

M1032 Multi-factor Authentication

Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) delete for cloud storage resources, such as AWS S3 buckets, to prevent unauthorized deletion of critical data and infrastructure. MFA delete requires additional authentication steps, making it significantly more difficult for adversaries to destroy data without proper credentials. This additional security layer helps protect against the impact of data destruction in cloud environments by ensuring that only authenticated actions can irreversibly delete storage or machine images.

M1018 User Account Management

In cloud environments, limit permissions to modify cloud bucket lifecycle policies (e.g., PutLifecycleConfiguration in AWS) to only those accounts that require it. In AWS environments, consider using Service Control policies to limit the use of the PutBucketLifecycle API call.

Detection

ID Data Source Data Component Detects
DS0010 Cloud Storage Cloud Storage Deletion

Monitor for unexpected deletion of a cloud storage infrastructure, such as the DeleteDBCluster and DeleteGlobalCluster events in AWS, or a high quantity of data deletion events, such as DeleteBucket. Many of these events within a short period of time may indicate malicious activity.

Cloud Storage Modification

Monitor for unexpected use of lifecycle policies. Where lifecycle policies are already in use, monitor for changes to cloud storage configurations and policies, such as buckets configured in the policy or unusually short retention periods. In AWS environments, monitor for PutBucketLifecycle events with a requestParameters.LifecycleConfiguration.Rule.Expiration.Days attribute below expected values.[47]

DS0017 Command Command Execution

Monitor executed commands and arguments for binaries that could be involved in data destruction activity, such as SDelete.

DS0022 File File Deletion

Monitor for unexpected deletion to a file (ex: Sysmon EID 23)

File Modification

Monitor for changes made to a large quantity of files for unexpected modifications in user directories and under C:\Windows\System32.

DS0007 Image Image Deletion

Monitor for unexpected deletion of a virtual machine image (ex: Azure Compute Service Images DELETE)

DS0030 Instance Instance Deletion

Monitor for unexpected deletion of a virtual machine or database instance (ex: instance.delete within GCP Audit Logs, DeleteDBInstance in AWS)

DS0009 Process Process Creation

Monitor for newly executed processes of binaries that could be involved in data destruction activity, such as SDelete.

DS0020 Snapshot Snapshot Deletion

Monitor for unexpected deletion of a snapshot (ex: AWS DeleteSnapshot, DeleteDBSnapshot)

DS0034 Volume Volume Deletion

Monitor for unexpected deletion of a cloud volume (ex: AWS DeleteVolume)

References

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  2. Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade and Max van Amerongen, SentinelOne. (2022, March 31). AcidRain | A Modem Wiper Rains Down on Europe. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  3. Amitai Ben & Shushan Ehrlich. (2021, May). From Wiper to Ransomware: The Evolution of Agrius. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  4. FireEye. (2018, October 03). APT38: Un-usual Suspects. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
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  12. Levene, B, et al. (2017, May 03). Kazuar: Multiplatform Espionage Backdoor with API Access. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
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  14. MSTIC, DART, M365 Defender. (2022, March 24). DEV-0537 Criminal Actor Targeting Organizations for Data Exfiltration and Destruction. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  15. Brown, D., et al. (2022, April 28). LAPSUS$: Recent techniques, tactics and procedures. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  16. Novetta Threat Research Group. (2016, February 24). Operation Blockbuster: Unraveling the Long Thread of the Sony Attack. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  17. Check Point Research Team. (2021, August 14). Indra - Hackers Behind Recent Attacks on Iran. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  18. Or Chechik, Tom Fakterman, Daniel Frank & Assaf Dahan. (2023, November 6). Agonizing Serpens (Aka Agrius) Targeting the Israeli Higher Education and Tech Sectors. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  19. Mercer, W. and Rascagneres, P. (2018, February 12). Olympic Destroyer Takes Aim At Winter Olympics. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  20. Scott W. Brady. (2020, October 15). United States vs. Yuriy Sergeyevich Andrienko et al.. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
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