Adversaries may shutdown/reboot systems to interrupt access to, or aid in the destruction of, those systems. Operating systems may contain commands to initiate a shutdown/reboot of a machine or network device. In some cases, these commands may also be used to initiate a shutdown/reboot of a remote computer or network device via Network Device CLI (e.g. reload).[1],[2] They may also include shutdown/reboot of a virtual machine via hypervisor / cloud consoles or command line tools.
Shutting down or rebooting systems may disrupt access to computer resources for legitimate users while also impeding incident response/recovery.
Adversaries may also use Windows API functions, such as InitializeSystemShutdownExW or ExitWindowsEx, to force a system to shut down or reboot.[3],[4] Alternatively, the NtRaiseHardErroror ZwRaiseHardError Windows API functions with the ResponseOption parameter set to OptionShutdownSystem may deliver a “blue screen of death” (BSOD) to a system.[5],[6],[7] In order to leverage these API functions, an adversary may need to acquire SeShutdownPrivilege (e.g., via Access Token Manipulation).[4]
In some cases, the system may not be able to boot again.
Adversaries may attempt to shutdown/reboot a system after impacting it in other ways, such as Disk Structure Wipe or Inhibit System Recovery, to hasten the intended effects on system availability.[8],[9]
References
- Microsoft. (2017, October 15). Shutdown. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- CISA. (2018, April 20). Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Actors Targeting Network Infrastructure Devices. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- William Thomas, Adrian Liviu Arsene, Farid Hendi. (2022, February 25). CrowdStrike Falcon® Protects from New Wiper Malware Used in Ukraine Cyberattacks. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- Or Chechik, Tom Fakterman, Daniel Frank & Assaf Dahan. (2023, November 6). Agonizing Serpens (Aka Agrius) Targeting the Israeli Higher Education and Tech Sectors. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- SecurityNews. (2024, July 12). Disarming DarkGate: A Deep Dive into Thwarting the Latest DarkGate Variant. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- NtDoc. (n.d.). NtRaiseHardError - NtDoc. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- lzcapp. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2025.
- Chiu, A. (2016, June 27). New Ransomware Variant "Nyetya" Compromises Systems Worldwide. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
- Mercer, W. and Rascagneres, P. (2018, February 12). Olympic Destroyer Takes Aim At Winter Olympics. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
Ticket collegati
| Tipo di collegamento | Ticket |
|---|---|
| is related to | Techniques |
| is blocked by | Multi-Platform Shutdown or Reboot Detection via Execution and Host Status Events |
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