{
  "family": "deleter",
  "sample_count": 3,
  "category": "ransomware",
  "description": "Trojan:Win32/Deleter (often associated with Wiper malware) is a highly destructive trojan whose primary and singular objective is to permanently erase, corrupt, or render inaccessible data and critical system files on the infected endpoint. Unlike ransomware, which encrypts data for extortion, Deleter aims for pure sabotage and destruction.<br><br><b>Understanding Deleter (Data Wiper)</b><br>To an end-user, a Deleter infection is catastrophic: the system suddenly crashes (BSOD), fails to reboot (reporting missing operating system files), or user directories are found completely empty. For a security team, a wiper attack is often indicative of a highly motivated, state-sponsored adversary (APT) aiming to disrupt operations, cover their tracks after a data breach, or cause maximal financial damage to an organization.<br><br><b>Execution and Destructive Mechanics</b><br>Wipers are typically deployed manually by attackers after they have gained deep network access and escalated privileges to SYSTEM or Domain Admin (`T1078`). Once executed (`T1204.002`), Deleter acts swiftly. It bypasses the Windows Recycle Bin, using APIs to directly overwrite file contents with zeros or random garbage data before deleting the file pointers (`T1485`). Advanced variants attempt to overwrite the Master Boot Record (MBR) or GUID Partition Table (GPT) (`T1561.001`, `T1561.002`), rendering the operating system completely unbootable. To prevent forensic recovery, it will systematically delete Volume Shadow Copies and clear Windows Event Logs (`T1490`, `T1070.001`).<br><br><b>Indicators of Compromise & Impact</b><br>The impact is total loss of data and complete system failure. Host-based IoCs include sudden, massive spikes in disk I/O activity followed by immediate system instability, EDR alerts for the execution of commands like `vssadmin.exe delete shadows`, unauthorized raw disk access (`\\\\.\\PhysicalDrive0`), and the deletion of critical Windows directory files. There are typically no network IoCs during the wiping phase, as the goal is localized destruction.",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [],
  "enrichment_level": "expert-seo",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1561.001",
    "T1490",
    "T1485",
    "T1070.001",
    "T1561.002"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-06-09",
  "mitre_attack_detail": [
    {
      "id": "T1485",
      "name": "Data Destruction",
      "tactic": "Impact"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1561.001",
      "name": "Disk Wipe: Disk Content Wipe",
      "tactic": "Impact"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1561.002",
      "name": "Disk Wipe: Disk Structure Wipe (MBR Overwrite)",
      "tactic": "Impact"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1490",
      "name": "Inhibit System Recovery",
      "tactic": "Impact"
    },
    {
      "id": "T1070.001",
      "name": "Indicator Removal on Host: Clear Windows Event Logs",
      "tactic": "Defense Evasion"
    }
  ],
  "containment_steps": [
    "IMMEDIATELY physically power down the infected endpoint (pull the plug, do not perform a graceful shutdown) to halt the wiping process and preserve whatever data remains on the disk.",
    "Do not attempt to reboot the machine; if the MBR is wiped, the machine will not boot, and the boot process itself may overwrite recoverable data.",
    "Remove the hard drive and connect it to an isolated forensic workstation using a write-blocker to attempt data carving and recovery of partially wiped files.",
    "Initiate disaster recovery protocols and restore the affected systems from secure, offline backups (e.g., tape drives) that were not connected to the network during the attack."
  ],
  "what_to_avoid": [
    "Do not assume the attack is a random virus; wipers are almost always deployed intentionally by human adversaries who may still have access to the network.",
    "Avoid relying solely on cloud-connected backups, as advanced attackers will often attempt to locate and wipe online backups before executing the local wiper."
  ],
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}