Suspicious Failed Event Log Clear Through WMI NTEventLogFile ClearEventLog (via wmi)

title: Suspicious Failed Event Log Clear Through WMI NTEventLogFile ClearEventLog (via wmi)
id: b74fba4d-e0f5-574c-886e-91dd83102b37
status: stable
description: This rule detects failed attempts to clear Windows event logs via the WMI NTEventLogFile ClearEventLog method. Event 5858 in the WMI-Activity operational log is an error event, meaning it is only generated when the WMI operation encounters an error (e.g. access denied, provider failure). It could be an indication of an adversary attempting to clear event logs via WMI, but failing due to insufficient privileges or other issues. Successful clearing operations will NOT produce this event; for those, correlate with Security event 1102 or System event 104.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1685/005/
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/cimwin32prov/cleareventlog-method-in-class-win32-nteventlogfile
author: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-01-06
tags:
    - attack.defense-impairment
    - attack.t1685.005
logsource:
    product: windows
    service: wmi
detection:
    selection:
        EventID: 5858
        Operation|contains|all:
            - 'Win32_NTEventlogFile'
            - 'cleareventlog'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium
regression_tests_path: regression_data/rules/windows/builtin/wmi/win_wmi_activity_nteventlogfile_cleareventlog/info.yml