Adversaries may delete files left behind by the actions of their intrusion activity. Malware, tools, or other non-native files dropped or created on a system by an adversary (ex: Ingress Tool Transfer) may leave traces to indicate to what was done within a network and how. Removal of these files can occur during an intrusion, or as part of a post-intrusion process to minimize the adversary's footprint. There are tools available from the host operating system to perform cleanup, but adversaries may use other tools as well.(Citation: Microsoft SDelete July 2016) Examples of built-in Command and Scripting Interpreter functions include <code>del</code> on Windows, <code>rm</code> or <code>unlink</code> on Linux and macOS, and `rm` on ESXi.
Detects removal of adversary artifacts via `rm`, `unlink`, or secure tools, with focus on shell sessions, temp files, and modified LaunchAgents or system directories.
Detects manual or scripted removal of logs, artifacts, or malware droppings via `rm` or PowerCLI in ESXi shell. Focus on deletions from /tmp/, /var/core/, or /scratch.
Detects deletion of suspicious files (e.g., payloads, temp exes, scripts) via `rm`, `unlink`, or secure deletion tools like `shred`, especially when performed by unexpected users or shortly after execution.