PowerShell disables or removes ETW Trace via Set-EtwTraceProvider or Remove-EtwTraceProvider

Flags PowerShell commands that remove or disable ETW trace providers to impair Windows telemetry.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Category: ps_script
Author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2022-06-28
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1070Indicator Removal
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies PowerShell script activity that removes an ETW trace provider or modifies a provider’s enable-related property using the ETW PowerShell cmdlets. Disabling or removing ETW tracing can reduce visibility and hinder detection by impairing event tracing. It relies on Script Block Logging telemetry to match specific command text within PowerShell script blocks.

Reporting behind it

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PowerShell disables or removes ETW Trace via Set-EtwTraceProvider or Remove-EtwTraceProvider

Pivot detection · T1070 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v1
No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

powershell-disables-or-removes-etw-trace-providers-via-etw-cmdlets-115fdba9

title: PowerShell disables or removes ETW Trace via Set-EtwTraceProvider or Remove-EtwTraceProvider
id: a77a4d4e-e46e-42af-b4b8-1590fe04ce8f
related:
  - id: a238b5d0-ce2d-4414-a676-7a531b3d13d6
    type: derived
  - id: 115fdba9-f017-42e6-84cf-d5573bf2ddf8
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule identifies PowerShell script activity that removes an ETW trace provider or modifies a provider’s enable-related property using the ETW PowerShell cmdlets. Disabling or removing ETW tracing can reduce visibility and hinder detection by impairing event tracing. It relies on Script Block Logging telemetry to match specific command text within PowerShell script blocks.
references:
  - https://medium.com/palantir/tampering-with-windows-event-tracing-background-offense-and-defense-4be7ac62ac63
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/powershell/powershell_script/posh_ps_etw_trace_evasion.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-06-28
modified: 2022-11-25
tags:
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.defense-impairment
  - attack.t1070
  - attack.t1685
  - car.2016-04-002
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: ps_script
  definition: "Requirements: Script Block Logging must be enabled"
detection:
  selection_pwsh_remove:
    ScriptBlockText|contains: "Remove-EtwTraceProvider "
  selection_pwsh_set:
    ScriptBlockText|contains|all:
      - "Set-EtwTraceProvider "
      - "0x11"
  condition: 1 of selection*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1

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