Technique with 5 sub-techniques.View on attack.mitre.org
Adversaries may modify access tokens to operate under a different user or system security context to perform actions and bypass access controls. Windows uses access tokens to determine the ownership of a running process. A user can manipulate access tokens to make a running process appear as though it is the child of a different process or belongs to someone other than the user that started the process. When this occurs, the process also takes on the security context associated with the new token.
An adversary can use built-in Windows API functions to copy access tokens from existing processes; this is known as token stealing. These token can then be applied to an existing process (i.e. Token Impersonation/Theft) or used to spawn a new process (i.e. Create Process with Token). An adversary must already be in a privileged user context (i.e. administrator) to steal a token. However, adversaries commonly use token stealing to elevate their security context from the administrator level to the SYSTEM level. An adversary can then use a token to authenticate to a remote system as the account for that token if the account has appropriate permissions on the remote system.
Any standard user can use the runas command, and the Windows API functions, to create impersonation tokens; it does not require access to an administrator account. There are also other mechanisms, such as Active Directory fields, that can be used to modify access tokens.
Rules on DetectionCode tagged with T1134 or one of its sub-techniques.
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| GroupBlue Mockingbird | Blue Mockingbird has used JuicyPotato to abuse the |
| GroupFIN6 | FIN6 has used has used Metasploit’s named-pipe impersonation technique to escalate privileges. |
| GroupLotus Blossom | Lotus Blossom has retrieved process tokens for processes to adjust the privileges of the launch process or other items. |
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| MalwareAppleSeed | AppleSeed can gain system level privilege by passing |
| MalwareBlackCat | BlackCat has the ability modify access tokens. |
| MalwareCuba | Cuba has used |
| MalwareDuqu | Duqu examines running system processes for tokens that have specific system privileges. If it finds one, it will copy the token and store it for later use. Eventually it will start new processes with the stored token attached. It can also steal tokens to acquire administrative privileges. |
| ToolEmpire | Empire can use PowerSploit's |
| MalwareGelsemium | Gelsemium can use token manipulation to bypass UAC on Windows7 systems. |
| MalwareHermeticWiper | HermeticWiper can use `AdjustTokenPrivileges` to grant itself privileges for debugging with `SeDebugPrivilege`, creating backups with `SeBackupPrivilege`, loading drivers with `SeLoadDriverPrivilege`, and shutting down a local system with `SeShutdownPrivilege`. |
| MalwareHydraq | Hydraq creates a backdoor through which remote attackers can adjust token privileges. |
Data from MITRE ATT&CK® (Enterprise). ATT&CK® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
