Windows File Deletion: Remove Zone.Identifier Alternate Data Stream

Alerts on Windows deletions of the Zone.Identifier ADS, which attackers may remove to evade zone-based security controls.

FreeReviewedSigma · Low · v5

Product: windows
Category: file_delete
Author: frack113 (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2023-09-04
Updated: 2026-07-31

Analysis Detection

ATT&CK techniques

Defense Evasion

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
- T1070.004File Deletion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags deletion events where a file’s Alternate Data Stream named "Zone.Identifier" (target ending with ":Zone.Identifier") is removed. Removing this ADS can help an attacker interfere with security controls that rely on Zone.Identifier metadata. Detection relies on Windows file delete telemetry that includes the deleted stream target name.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1070.004 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious Self-Delete Chain via Loopback Ping and File Deletion (via process_creation)

Suspicious Anti-Recovery Zeroing via fsutil setZeroData (via process_creation)

Suspicious Zone.Identifier Mark-of-the-Web Removal (via process_creation)

Suspicious Self-Deletion of Dropper via Command Line

Suspicious Self-Deletion via Choice Timer and Del Command via Cmd (via process_creation)

Suspicious Jump List AutomaticDestinations Deletion via Cmd (via process_creation)

Suspicious Self-Delete via cmd choice Timeout and Del

Suspicious Ping Loopback Delay Followed by File Deletion for Evasion

Suspicious Alternate Data Stream Self-Deletion via process_creation

Windows File Deletion: Remove Zone.Identifier Alternate Data Stream

Pivot detection · T1070.004 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v4
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v3
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
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.

windows-deletion-of-zone-identifier-alternate-data-stream-7eac0a16

title: "Windows File Deletion: Remove Zone.Identifier Alternate Data Stream"
id: e177bbdb-3e9e-40cb-b1e2-5766ae9bb5d4
related:
  - id: 3109530e-ab47-4cc6-a953-cac5ebcc93ae
    type: similar
  - id: 7eac0a16-5832-4e81-865f-0268a6d19e4b
    type: derived
status: test
description: This rule flags deletion events where a file’s Alternate Data Stream named "Zone.Identifier" (target ending with ":Zone.Identifier") is removed. Removing this ADS can help an attacker interfere with security controls that rely on Zone.Identifier metadata. Detection relies on Windows file delete telemetry that includes the deleted stream target name.
references:
  - https://securityliterate.com/how-malware-abuses-the-zone-identifier-to-circumvent-detection-and-analysis/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/file/file_delete/file_delete_win_zone_identifier_ads.yml
author: frack113, Huntrule Team
date: 2023-09-04
tags:
  - attack.stealth
  - attack.t1070.004
  - detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
  product: windows
  category: file_delete
detection:
  selection:
    TargetFilename|endswith: :Zone.Identifier
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Likely
level: low
license: DRL-1.1

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