---
title: ESXi Virtual Machine Snapshot Removed
description: Detects removal of all snapshots for an ESXi virtual machine. Snapshots are on-host recovery points for a guest. Removing all of them deletes those recovery...
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4302/reference/security/prebuilt-rules/rules/integrations/vsphere/impact_esxi_snapshot_removed
products:
  - Elastic Security
---

# ESXi Virtual Machine Snapshot Removed
Detects removal of all snapshots for an ESXi virtual machine. Snapshots are on-host recovery points for a guest.
Removing all of them deletes those recovery points, so the virtual machine cannot be reverted to an earlier disk
state.
**Rule type**: query
**Rule indices**:
- logs-vsphere.log-*

**Rule Severity**: high
**Risk Score**: 73
**Runs every**: 
**Searches indices from**: `now-9m`
**Maximum alerts per execution**: 100
**References**:
- [[https://lolesxi-project.github.io/LOLESXi/#](https://lolesxi-project.github.io/LOLESXi/#)](https://lolesxi-project.github.io/LOLESXi/#)
- [[https://blogs.vmware.com/security/2022/10/esxi-targeting-ransomware-tactics-and-techniques-part-2.html](https://blogs.vmware.com/security/2022/10/esxi-targeting-ransomware-tactics-and-techniques-part-2.html)](https://blogs.vmware.com/security/2022/10/esxi-targeting-ransomware-tactics-and-techniques-part-2.html)
- [[https://detect.fyi/vmware-esxi-logging-detection-opportunities-4fb56411ec21](https://detect.fyi/vmware-esxi-logging-detection-opportunities-4fb56411ec21)](https://detect.fyi/vmware-esxi-logging-detection-opportunities-4fb56411ec21)

**Tags**:
- Domain: Endpoint
- Data Source: VMware vSphere
- Use Case: Threat Detection
- Tactic: Impact
- Resources: Investigation Guide
- Rule Type: Custom Query (KQL)
- Platform: VMware ESXi
- Threat: Ransomware

**Version**: 1
**Rule authors**:
- Elastic

**Rule license**: Elastic License v2

## Setup

This rule requires ESXi host logs collected by the Elastic vSphere integration: [https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/integrations/vsphere](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/integrations/vsphere)

## Investigation guide


## Triage and analysis


### Investigating ESXi Virtual Machine Snapshot Removed

Snapshots are the local recovery point on a datastore. snapshot.removeall deletes them for one VM id. Ransomware wraps that command in a loop over every VM.

#### Possible investigation steps

- Read the VM id in message. A loop that calls removeall for every id from getallvms is higher severity than one VM.
- Check whether VM processes were killed or disks were enumerated in the same session.
- Ask the backup or virtualization owner whether snapshot consolidation was underway.


### False positive analysis

Backup products and administrators delete snapshots after a successful consolidate. Match the account and the change ticket before closing the alert.

### Response and remediation

- If removal was not approved, isolate the host and stop the shell session.
- Restore affected VMs from an off-host backup. Datastore snapshots removed by this command are gone.
- Preserve shell history and hostd logs.


## Rule Query

```kuery
data_stream.dataset: "vsphere.log" and (
  message: "snapshot.removeall"
)
```

**Framework:** MITRE ATT&CK
- Tactic:
  - Name: Impact
- Id: TA0040
- Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0040/](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0040/)](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0040/)
- Technique:
  - Name: Inhibit System Recovery
- Id: T1490
- Reference URL: [[https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1490/](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1490/)](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1490/)