MediumSigmaHQ Pratinav Chandra

Time Machine Backup Deletion Attempt Via Tmutil - MacOS

Detects deletion attempts of MacOS Time Machine backups via the native backup utility "tmutil". An adversary may perform this action before launching a ransonware attack to prevent the victim from restoring their files.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform: Containers ESXi IaaS Linux macOS Network Devices Windows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
Log source product: macos
Log source category: process_creation

Known benign triggers

Legitimate activities

References

Links the source published beside this detection. Reference is the link the source wrote, unmodified. Class is decided by this catalogue from the host and path, not stated by the source. Cited by counts published detections citing the same resource, including this one, and the sources beneath it count the repositories this catalogue ingests, which is not the same as independent research.
Reference	Class	Cited by
github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/master/atomics/T1490/T1490.md#atomic-test-12---disable-time-machine	Detection test	6from 2 sources
www.loobins.io/binaries/tmutil/	Unclassified	3

Detection rules

Time Machine Backup Deletion Attempt Via Tmutil - MacOS

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Known benign triggers

MITRE ATT&CK mappings

References

From the source

Licence

Authorship

Detection rules