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Detection Strategies DET0215 — Detection of Multi-Platform File Encryption for Impact
DET0215

Detection of Multi-Platform File Encryption for Impact

5 analytic(s) · 1 technique(s) detected

Analytics

5
AN0602 Analytic 0602
Windows

High-frequency file write operations using uncommon extensions, followed by ransom note creation, registry tampering, or shadow copy deletion. Often uses CLI tools like vssadmin, wbadmin, cipher, or PowerShell.

WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=1 WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=11 WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=2
[FileExtension] Non-standard or randomly generated file extensions may indicate encrypted content.
[TargetFolder] Focus on user document folders, network shares, or system paths like %System32%.
[TimeWindow] Correlate rapid writes and renames within seconds across high file count.
[CommandLine] Flag common ransomware tools or functions (vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet).
AN0603 Analytic 0603
Linux

Encryption via custom or open-source tools (e.g., openssl, gpg, aescrypt) recursively targeting user or system directories. Also includes overwrite of existing data and ransom note drops.

auditd:SYSCALL openat, write, rename, unlink auditd:SYSCALL execve
[FilenamePattern] Look for creation of ransom note files (e.g., READ_ME.txt, HELP_DECRYPT.html).
[SyscallBurstRate] High write/open/unlink activity in short intervals indicates encryption attempts.
[DirectoryTargeted] Correlate activity in /home, /etc, /opt, or mounted volumes.
AN0604 Analytic 0604
macOS

Userland or kernel-level ransomware encrypting user files (Documents, Desktop) using `srm`, `gpg`, or compiled payloads. Often correlated with ransom note creation in multiple directories.

macos:unifiedlog file encrypted|new file with .encrypted extension|disk write burst macos:unifiedlog exec srm|exec openssl|exec gpg
[ExtensionPattern] Encrypted files may use .locked, .enc, or ransom-specific extensions.
[VolumeTargeted] Detect activity targeting mounted external or backup volumes.
AN0605 Analytic 0605
ESXi

Ransomware encrypts .vmdk, .vmx, .log, or VM config files in VMFS datastores. May rename to .locked or delete/overwrite with encrypted versions. Often correlates with shell commands run through `dcui`, SSH, or vSphere.

esxi:vmkernel rename .vmdk to .*.locked|datastore write spike esxi:shell openssl|tar|dd
[FileType] Detect renames or write patterns involving .vmdk, .vmx, .nvram.
[UserContext] Identify shell sessions opened by root or unexpected users outside maintenance window.
AN0606 Analytic 0606
IaaS

Encryption of cloud storage objects (e.g., S3 buckets) via Server-Side Encryption (SSE-C) or by replacing objects with encrypted variants. May include API patterns like PutObject with SSE-C headers.

AWS:CloudTrail PutObject (with SSE-C), UploadPart (SSE-C)
[SSEHeader] SSE-C headers indicate attacker-controlled encryption keys.
[AffectedBucket] Prioritize logs, backups, or shared document storage buckets.
[UserAgent] Detect scripted automation vs console-based API behavior.

Detected Techniques

1

Details

MITRE ID
DET0215
STIX ID
x-mitre-detection-strategy--d080a1b1-5ad1-45a1-8f7b-b736986c20d9
Analytics
5
Techniques Detected
1
By Tactic
Impact
1
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