Hackers Turn Windows Shadow Copies Into a Tool for Credential Theft and Ransomware

Hackers Abuse VSSAdmin to Extract NTDS.dit and Delete Windows Recovery Copies

Windows attackers are turning a built-in recovery feature into a tool for disruption. By abusing Volume Shadow Copy Service, intruders can copy protected data, access the Active Directory database, and erase recovery copies after ransomware. The technique blends into Windows activity. Backup software, remote management tools, and administrators may create or remove shadow copies, forcing […]

Hackers Turn Windows Shadow Copies Into a Tool for Credential Theft and Ransomware

Threat actors are increasingly weaponizing Microsoft’s Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) for two distinct objectives: removing recovery options before ransomware deployment and extracting credential material from protected Windows files. The shift means VSS telemetry should no longer be treated as a simple backup or disk-maintenance event, but as behavior requiring process, identity, and endpoint context.