Adversaries may scan victims for vulnerabilities that can be used during targeting. Vulnerability scans typically check if the configuration of a target host/application (ex: software and version) potentially aligns with the target of a specific exploit the adversary may seek to use.
These scans may also include more broad attempts to Gather Victim Host Information that can be used to identify more commonly known, exploitable vulnerabilities. Vulnerability scans typically harvest running software and version numbers via server banners, listening ports, or other network artifacts.(Citation: OWASP Vuln Scanning) Information from these scans may reveal opportunities for other forms of reconnaissance (ex: Search Open Websites/Domains or Search Open Technical Databases), establishing operational resources (ex: Develop Capabilities or Obtain Capabilities), and/or initial access (ex: Exploit Public-Facing Application).
View in MITRE ATT&CK®| Capability ID | Capability Description | Mapping Type | ATT&CK ID | ATT&CK Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| action.hacking.variety.Exploit vuln | Exploit vulnerability in code (vs misconfig or weakness). This can be used with other hacking enumerations, (such as XSS when an XSS vuln exists.). Parent of many hacking varieties. | related-to | T1595.002 | Active Scanning: Vulnerability Scanning |
| action.malware.variety.Scan network | Enumerating the state of the network | related-to | T1595.002 | Active Scanning: Vulnerability Scanning |