服务停止是攻击者通过终止关键系统服务破坏目标业务连续性的破坏性技术,通常用于阻碍应急响应、加剧系统瘫痪或为数据破坏操作创造条件。传统防御手段通过监控服务控制事件(如SCM日志)、分析进程树异常、检测未授权服务配置变更等方式进行防护,依赖服务操作行为的合法性与合规性审查。
为规避传统检测机制对异常服务终止操作的识别能力,攻击者发展出多维度的服务停止匿迹技术,通过操作场景伪装、系统工具劫持、内存级攻击及状态震荡干扰等手法,将恶意服务控制行为深度融入正常系统运维活动中,形成"高隐蔽、强持续"的新型服务破坏范式。
现有服务停止匿迹技术的核心机理体现为对系统信任链条的深度渗透与多维特征的重构。攻击者通过模拟合法运维操作的时间模式和操作规范,规避基于操作时序异常的检测;利用系统管理组件的合法上下文执行攻击指令,突破基于进程行为分析的防护体系;采用内存级服务状态篡改技术,消除传统服务控制事件日志的生成;间歇性服务干扰技术通过自适应节奏控制,使攻击行为的时间分布特征与目标系统固有故障模式吻合。这些技术的共性在于突破服务管理的逻辑边界,通过系统内部信任关系的滥用、操作证据链的破坏以及攻击节奏的智能控制,实现服务终止行为的"合法化"与"隐形化"。
匿迹技术的演进导致传统基于日志审计、API监控的防御体系面临严峻挑战,防御方需构建内存行为监控、服务状态基线建模、长周期操作模式分析等新型检测能力,同时加强系统管理组件的完整性保护,建立服务运行状态的多维度交叉验证机制。
| 效应类型 | 是否存在 |
|---|---|
| 特征伪装 | ✅ |
| 行为透明 | ✅ |
| 数据遮蔽 | ❌ |
| 时空释痕 | ✅ |
攻击者通过精确模拟系统维护操作流程,使用合法管理工具和标准命令格式执行服务终止,使恶意操作在进程行为、命令参数等特征维度与正常运维活动完全一致。例如利用计划任务调度服务控制命令,并生成符合运维规范的虚假日志条目,实现攻击行为的表面合法化。
利用合法系统工具或远程访问工具与Windows API交互,从而躲避防御者部署的常规异常检测。攻击者通过模拟合法工具使用场景,隐藏恶意行为,使检测系统难以识别出恶意破坏活动;通过远程访问工具执行服务停止操作,避免直接交互,躲避传统的安全防护措施或事件监控记录。由于攻击者的操作不通过常见的本地管理命令执行,这使得恶意活动的行为更加透明且难以察觉。
通过分布式攻击节点实施跨地域服务终止操作,单个节点仅破坏特定服务实例,且攻击间隔符合目标系统的正常维护周期。在间歇性服务干扰中,将集中式攻击拆解为长达数月的离散操作,这种时间维度上的特征稀释策略使防御方难以建立攻击事件的时间关联性,必须实施长周期行为模式分析才能识别恶意意图。
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S0640 | Avaddon |
Avaddon looks for and attempts to stop database processes.[1] |
| S1053 | AvosLocker |
AvosLocker has terminated specific processes before encryption.[2] |
| S0638 | Babuk |
Babuk can stop specific services related to backups.[3][4][5] |
| S1068 | BlackCat |
BlackCat has the ability to stop VM services on compromised networks.[6][7] |
| S1096 | Cheerscrypt |
Cheerscrypt has the ability to terminate VM processes on compromised hosts through execution of |
| S0611 | Clop |
Clop can kill several processes and services related to backups and security solutions.[9][10] |
| S0575 | Conti |
Conti can stop up to 146 Windows services related to security, backup, database, and email solutions through the use of |
| S0625 | Cuba |
Cuba has a hardcoded list of services and processes to terminate.[12] |
| S0659 | Diavol |
Diavol will terminate services using the Service Control Manager (SCM) API.[13] |
| S0605 | EKANS |
EKANS stops database, data backup solution, antivirus, and ICS-related processes.[14][15][16] |
| S0697 | HermeticWiper |
HermeticWiper has the ability to stop the Volume Shadow Copy service.[17] |
| S0431 | HotCroissant |
HotCroissant has the ability to stop services on the infected host.[18] |
| S1139 | INC Ransomware |
INC Ransomware can issue a command to kill a process on compromised hosts.[19] |
| G0119 | Indrik Spider |
Indrik Spider has used PsExec to stop services prior to the execution of ransomware.[20] |
| S0604 | Industroyer |
Industroyer’s data wiper module writes zeros into the registry keys in |
| S0607 | KillDisk |
KillDisk terminates various processes to get the user to reboot the victim machine.[22] |
| G1004 | LAPSUS$ |
LAPSUS$ has shut down virtual machines from within a victim's on-premise VMware ESXi infrastructure.[23] |
| G0032 | Lazarus Group |
Lazarus Group has stopped the MSExchangeIS service to render Exchange contents inaccessible to users.[24] |
| S0582 | LookBack | |
| S0449 | Maze |
Maze has stopped SQL services to ensure it can encrypt any database.[26] |
| S0576 | MegaCortex |
MegaCortex can stop and disable services on the system.[27] |
| S0688 | Meteor |
Meteor can disconnect all network adapters on a compromised host using |
| S0457 | Netwalker |
Netwalker can terminate system processes and services, some of which relate to backup software.[29] |
| S0365 | Olympic Destroyer |
Olympic Destroyer uses the API call |
| S0556 | Pay2Key |
Pay2Key can stop the MS SQL service at the end of the encryption process to release files locked by the service.[31] |
| S1058 | Prestige |
Prestige has attempted to stop the MSSQL Windows service to ensure successful encryption using |
| S0583 | Pysa | |
| S0481 | Ragnar Locker |
Ragnar Locker has attempted to stop services associated with business applications and databases to release the lock on files used by these applications so they may be encrypted.[34] |
| S0496 | REvil |
REvil has the capability to stop services and kill processes.[35][36] |
| S1150 | ROADSWEEP | |
| S0400 | RobbinHood |
RobbinHood stops 181 Windows services on the system before beginning the encryption process.[38] |
| S1073 | Royal |
Royal can use |
| S0446 | Ryuk |
Ryuk has called |
| G0034 | Sandworm Team |
Sandworm Team attempts to stop the MSSQL Windows service to ensure successful encryption of locked files.[32] |
| S0533 | SLOTHFULMEDIA |
SLOTHFULMEDIA has the capability to stop processes and services.[41] |
| S0366 | WannaCry |
WannaCry attempts to kill processes associated with Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL to make it possible to encrypt their data stores.[42][43] |
| G0102 | Wizard Spider |
Wizard Spider has used taskkill.exe and net.exe to stop backup, catalog, cloud, and other services prior to network encryption.[44] |
| ID | Mitigation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M1030 | Network Segmentation |
Operate intrusion detection, analysis, and response systems on a separate network from the production environment to lessen the chances that an adversary can see and interfere with critical response functions. |
| M1060 | Out-of-Band Communications Channel |
Develop and enforce security policies that include the use of out-of-band communication channels for critical communications during a security incident.[45] |
| M1022 | Restrict File and Directory Permissions |
Ensure proper process and file permissions are in place to inhibit adversaries from disabling or interfering with critical services. |
| M1024 | Restrict Registry Permissions |
Ensure proper registry permissions are in place to inhibit adversaries from disabling or interfering with critical services. |
| M1018 | User Account Management |
Limit privileges of user accounts and groups so that only authorized administrators can interact with service changes and service configurations. |
| ID | Data Source | Data Component | Detects |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS0017 | Command | Command Execution |
Monitor executed commands and arguments that may stop or disable services on a system to render those services unavailable to legitimate users. |
| DS0022 | File | File Modification |
Monitor for changes made to files that may stop or disable services on a system to render those services unavailable to legitimate users. |
| DS0009 | Process | OS API Execution |
Remote access tools with built-in features may interact directly with the Windows API to perform these functions outside of typical system utilities. For example, |
| Process Creation |
Monitor for newly executed processes that may stop or disable services on a system to render those services unavailable to legitimate users. |
||
| Process Termination |
Monitor processes and command-line arguments to see if critical processes are terminated or stop running. |
||
| DS0019 | Service | Service Metadata |
Alterations to the service binary path or the service startup type changed to disabled may be suspicious. |
| DS0024 | Windows Registry | Windows Registry Key Modification |
Monitor for changes made to windows registry keys and/or values that may stop or disable services on a system to render those services unavailable to legitimate users. |