# T1070.003 - Indicator Removal on Host: Clear Command History

## Description from ATT&CK

> In addition to clearing system logs, an adversary may clear the command history of a compromised account to conceal the actions undertaken during an intrusion. Various command interpreters keep track of the commands users type in their terminal so that users can retrace what they've done.
> 
> On Linux and macOS, these command histories can be accessed in a few different ways. While logged in, this command history is tracked in a file pointed to by the environment variable <code>HISTFILE</code>. When a user logs off a system, this information is flushed to a file in the user's home directory called <code>\~/.bash_history</code>. The benefit of this is that it allows users to go back to commands they've used before in different sessions. Adversaries may delete their commands from these logs by manually clearing the history (<code>history -c</code>) or deleting the bash history file <code>rm \~/.bash_history</code>.
> 
> Adversaries may also leverage a [Network Device CLI](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/008) on network devices to clear command history data (<code>clear logging</code> and/or <code>clear history</code>).(Citation: US-CERT-TA18-106A) On ESXi servers, command history may be manually removed from the `/var/log/shell.log` file.(Citation: Broadcom ESXi Shell Audit)
> 
> On Windows hosts, PowerShell has two different command history providers: the built-in history and the command history managed by the <code>PSReadLine</code> module. The built-in history only tracks the commands used in the current session. This command history is not available to other sessions and is deleted when the session ends.
> 
> The <code>PSReadLine</code> command history tracks the commands used in all PowerShell sessions and writes them to a file (<code>$env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PSReadLine\ConsoleHost_history.txt</code> by default). This history file is available to all sessions and contains all past history since the file is not deleted when the session ends.(Citation: Microsoft PowerShell Command History)
> 
> Adversaries may run the PowerShell command <code>Clear-History</code> to flush the entire command history from a current PowerShell session. This, however, will not delete/flush the <code>ConsoleHost_history.txt</code> file. Adversaries may also delete the <code>ConsoleHost_history.txt</code> file or edit its contents to hide PowerShell commands they have run.(Citation: Sophos PowerShell command audit)(Citation: Sophos PowerShell Command History Forensics)

[Source](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1070/003)

## Atomic Tests

- [Atomic Test #1: Clear Bash history (rm)](#atomic-test-1-clear-bash-history-rm)
- [Atomic Test #2: Clear Bash history (echo)](#atomic-test-2-clear-bash-history-echo)
- [Atomic Test #3: Clear Bash history (cat dev/null)](#atomic-test-3-clear-bash-history-cat-devnull)
- [Atomic Test #4: Clear Bash history (ln dev/null)](#atomic-test-4-clear-bash-history-ln-devnull)
- [Atomic Test #5: Clear Bash history (truncate)](#atomic-test-5-clear-bash-history-truncate)
- [Atomic Test #6: Clear history of a bunch of shells](#atomic-test-6-clear-history-of-a-bunch-of-shells)
- [Atomic Test #7: Clear and Disable Bash History Logging](#atomic-test-7-clear-and-disable-bash-history-logging)
- [Atomic Test #8: Use Space Before Command to Avoid Logging to History](#atomic-test-8-use-space-before-command-to-avoid-logging-to-history)
- [Atomic Test #9: Disable Bash History Logging with SSH -T](#atomic-test-9-disable-bash-history-logging-with-ssh--t)
- [Atomic Test #10: Clear Docker Container Logs](#atomic-test-10-clear-docker-container-logs)
- [Atomic Test #11: Prevent Powershell History Logging](#atomic-test-11-prevent-powershell-history-logging)
- [Atomic Test #12: Clear Powershell History by Deleting History File](#atomic-test-12-clear-powershell-history-by-deleting-history-file)
- [Atomic Test #13: Set Custom AddToHistoryHandler to Avoid History File Logging](#atomic-test-13-set-custom-addtohistoryhandler-to-avoid-history-file-logging)
- [Atomic Test #14: Clear PowerShell Session History](#atomic-test-14-clear-powershell-session-history)

### Atomic Test #1: Clear Bash history (rm)

Clears bash history via rm

**Supported Platforms:** Linux, macOS

**auto_generated_guid:** `a934276e-2be5-4a36-93fd-98adbb5bd4fc`

#### Inputs

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value |
|------|-------------|------|---------------|
| history_path | Bash history path | path | ~/.bash_history|

#### Attack Commands: Run with `sh`!

```sh
rm #{history_path}
```

### Atomic Test #2: Clear Bash history (echo)

Clears bash history via echo

**Supported Platforms:** Linux

**auto_generated_guid:** `cbf506a5-dd78-43e5-be7e-a46b7c7a0a11`

#### Inputs

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value |
|------|-------------|------|---------------|
| history_path | Bash history path | path | ~/.bash_history|

#### Attack Commands: Run with `sh`!

```sh
echo "" > #{history_path}
```

### Atomic Test #3: Clear Bash history (cat dev/null)

Clears bash history via cat /dev/null

**Supported Platforms:** Linux, macOS

**auto_generated_guid:** `b1251c35-dcd3-4ea1-86da-36d27b54f31f`

#### Inputs

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value |
|------|-------------|------|---------------|
| history_path | Bash history path | path | ~/.bash_history|

#### Attack Commands: Run with `sh`!

```sh
cat /dev/null > #{history_path}
```

### Atomic Test #4: Clear Bash history (ln dev/null)

Clears bash history via a symlink to /dev/null

**Supported Platforms:** Linux, macOS

**auto_generated_guid:** `23d348f3-cc5c-4ba9-bd0a-ae09069f0914`

#### Inputs

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value |
|------|-------------|------|---------------|
| history_path | Bash history path | path | ~/.bash_history|

#### Attack Commands: Run with `sh`!

```sh
ln -sf /dev/null #{history_path}
```

### Atomic Test #5: Clear Bash history (truncate)

Clears bash history via truncate

**Supported Platforms:** Linux

**auto_generated_guid:** `47966a1d-df4f-4078-af65-db6d9aa20739`

#### Inputs

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value |
|------|-------------|------|---------------|
| history_path | Bash history path | path | ~/.bash_history|

#### Attack Commands: Run with `sh`!

```sh
truncate -s0 #{history_path}
```

### Atomic Test #6: Clear history of a bunch of shells

Clears the history of a bunch of different shell types by setting the history size to zero

**Supported Platforms:** Linux, macOS

**auto_generated_guid:** `7e6721df-5f08-4370-9255-f06d8a77af4c`

#### Attack Commands: Run with `sh`!

```sh
unset HISTFILE
export HISTFILESIZE=0
history -c
```

### Atomic Test #7: Clear and Disable Bash History Logging

Clears the history and disable bash history logging of the current shell and future shell sessions

**Supported Platforms:** Linux, macOS

**auto_generated_guid:** `784e4011-bd1a-4ecd-a63a-8feb278512