OSSEC / HIDS Rule 18301

OSSEC / HIDS rule catalog

• Rule family: OSSEC / HIDS
• Rule ID: 18301
• Definition status: Present in current source
• Alert message / subject: Windows Application Event (455): Error writing to EDB log file.
• Rule level: 4
• Definition checked: 2026-10-21

Interpretation and response

This event is recorded as “Windows Application Event (455): Error writing to EDB log file.” Review the originating log and the affected host or service to determine whether the activity was expected.

An OSSEC/HIDS event records or correlates activity. Blocking depends on the originating application and any separately configured Active Response policy; an alert alone does not prove that an attack was blocked.

Documentation

The following guidance was migrated from the historical wiki and reviewed against the rule definition. Legacy ASL product names and interface instructions refer to the versions documented then. Use the current metadata above and your installed configuration when interpreting thresholds, notification settings and response behavior.

Description

Windows has failed to write to the EDB log file.

What you should do

This means something is wrong with the auditing system on the effected Windows system. This could be caused by a lack of disk space, a misconfiguration of the auditing services or a system level problem on the host that is prevening the auditing system from working correctly. The effected system should be checked to ensure it has adequate drive space, is configured correctly and is otherwise operating correctly. The system should also be checked to ensure it has the latest updates from Microsoft installed.

For some regulatory frameworks, a failure of the auditing system to work correctly may require the system to be shut down or taken out of service until the auditing system is working correctly.

Troubleshooting

False Positives

A legitimate event may still trigger this rule. Review the surrounding activity before deciding whether it is malicious.

Tuning Guidance

There is no guidance for tuning this rule, this is a generic Windows error and the rule should not be disabled.

Additional Information

Support

If you are unsure about how to respond to this alert, please contact Atomicorp support. We’re here to help you!

Source and revision

Migrated from HIDS_18301, wiki page 791, revision 6153 (20201022). Documentation review: 2026-10-21. An archived wiki status of Active is not a current deployment status.

For assistance, provide the rule ID, installed product and rule version, and a sanitized event to Atomicorp support .