Windows Process Creation: Maze Ransomware Doc Dropper and Shadow Copy Deletion Indicators
Alerts on Word-to-temp execution followed by wmic shadowcopy deletion consistent with Maze-style ransomware droppers.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2020-05-08
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
Execution → ImpactRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
What it detects
This rule flags Windows process creation patterns consistent with a document-based dropper attempting to impair recovery by deleting Volume Shadow Copies. It matches a Word parent spawning a temporary .tmp binary and a subsequent wmic execution from a Temp path that runs shadowcopy deletion commands containing traversal to system32. The detection relies on process creation telemetry including ParentImage, Image, and CommandLine.
Reporting behind it
- fireeye.comhttps://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2020/05/tactics-techniques-procedures-associated-with-maze-ransomware-incidents.html
- app.any.runhttps://app.any.run/tasks/51e7185c-52d7-4efb-ac0d-e86340053473/
- app.any.runhttps://app.any.run/tasks/65a79440-373a-4725-8d74-77db9f2abda4/
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-emerging-threats/2020/Malware/Maze/proc_creation_win_malware_maze_ransomware.yml
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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.
title: "Windows Process Creation: Maze Ransomware Doc Dropper and Shadow Copy Deletion Indicators"
id: 9d8fa44a-4520-432a-825e-e220e7eefa94
status: test
description: This rule flags Windows process creation patterns consistent with a document-based dropper attempting to impair recovery by deleting Volume Shadow Copies. It matches a Word parent spawning a temporary .tmp binary and a subsequent wmic execution from a Temp path that runs shadowcopy deletion commands containing traversal to system32. The detection relies on process creation telemetry including ParentImage, Image, and CommandLine.
references:
- https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2020/05/tactics-techniques-procedures-associated-with-maze-ransomware-incidents.html
- https://app.any.run/tasks/51e7185c-52d7-4efb-ac0d-e86340053473/
- https://app.any.run/tasks/65a79440-373a-4725-8d74-77db9f2abda4/
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-emerging-threats/2020/Malware/Maze/proc_creation_win_malware_maze_ransomware.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2020-05-08
modified: 2023-02-13
tags:
- attack.execution
- attack.t1204.002
- attack.t1047
- attack.impact
- attack.t1490
- detection.emerging-threats
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection1:
ParentImage|endswith: \WINWORD.exe
Image|endswith: .tmp
selection2:
Image|endswith: \wmic.exe
ParentImage|contains: \Temp\
CommandLine|endswith: shadowcopy delete
selection3:
CommandLine|endswith: shadowcopy delete
CommandLine|contains: \..\..\system32
condition: 1 of selection*
falsepositives:
- Unlikely
level: critical
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 29fd07fc-9cfd-4331-b7fd-cc18dfa21052
type: derived