An adversary may steal web application or service session cookies and use them to gain access to web applications or Internet services as an authenticated user without needing credentials. Web applications and services often use session cookies as an authentication token after a user has authenticated to a website.
Cookies are often valid for an extended period of time, even if the web application is not actively used. Cookies can be found on disk, in the process memory of the browser, and in network traffic to remote systems. Additionally, other applications on the targets machine might store sensitive authentication cookies in memory (e.g. apps which authenticate to cloud services). Session cookies can be used to bypasses some multi-factor authentication protocols.(Citation: Pass The Cookie)
There are several examples of malware targeting cookies from web browsers on the local system.(Citation: Kaspersky TajMahal April 2019)(Citation: Unit 42 Mac Crypto Cookies January 2019) There are also open source frameworks such as Evilginx2
and Muraena
that can gather session cookies through a malicious proxy (ex: Adversary-in-the-Middle) that can be set up by an adversary and used in phishing campaigns.(Citation: Github evilginx2)(Citation: GitHub Mauraena)
After an adversary acquires a valid cookie, they can then perform a Web Session Cookie technique to login to the corresponding web application.
View in MITRE ATT&CK®Capability ID | Capability Description | Mapping Type | ATT&CK ID | ATT&CK Name | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AC-20 | Use of External Systems | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
AC-03 | Access Enforcement | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
AC-06 | Least Privilege | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
CA-07 | Continuous Monitoring | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
CM-02 | Baseline Configuration | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
CM-06 | Configuration Settings | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
IA-02 | Identification and Authentication (organizational Users) | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
IA-05 | Authenticator Management | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
SI-03 | Malicious Code Protection | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
SI-04 | System Monitoring | Protects | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie | |
ME-PWA-E3 | Passwordless Authentication | Technique Scores | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie |
Comments
Microsoft recommended the use of Passwordless authentication. This method provides the most secure MFA sign-in process by replacing the password with something you have, plus something you are or something you know.(e.g., Biometric, FIDO2 security keys, Microsoft’s Authenticator app).
When combined with Conditional Access policies, Passwordless Authentication can significantly protect against the likelihood of adversary activity from credential attacks (e.g., token theft, etc.).
License Requirements:
All Microsoft Entra ID licenses
References
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ME-CAE-E3 | Conditional Access Evaluation | Technique Scores | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie |
Comments
Entra ID's continuous access evaluation is a security control implemented by enabling services to subscribe to critical Microsoft Entra events. Those events can then be evaluated and enforced near real time. This process enables tenant users lose access to organizational SharePoint Online files, email, calendar, or tasks, and Teams from Microsoft 365 client apps within minutes after a critical event is detected. The following events are currently evaluated:
User Account is deleted or disabled
Password for a user is changed or reset
Multifactor authentication is enabled for the user
Administrator explicitly revokes all refresh tokens for a user
High user risk detected by Microsoft Entra ID Protection
License Requirements:
Continuous access evaluation will be included in all versions of Microsoft 365.
References
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DEF-SIM-E5 | ATT&CK Simulation Training | Technique Scores | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie |
Comments
M365's Defender Attack Simulation Training allows organizations to automate the simulation of benign real-world cyberattacks. These simulation automations feature social engineering techniques, payloads, and can start on an automated schedule. This detection focused security control partially improves organizations security posture by continuously conduct attack simulations that fine tune analytics, and provide hands-on training for users and cyber professionals to improve response capabilities.
The following social engineering techniques are available:
Credential Harvest: Attempts to collect credentials by taking users to a well-known looking website with input boxes to submit a username and password.
Malware Attachment: Adds a malicious attachment to a message. When the user opens the attachment, arbitrary code is run that helps the attacker compromise the target's device.
Link in Attachment: A type of credential harvest hybrid. An attacker inserts a URL into an email attachment. The URL within the attachment follows the same technique as credential harvest.
Link to Malware: Runs some arbitrary code from a file hosted on a well-known file sharing service. The message sent to the user contains a link to this malicious file, opening the file and helping the attacker compromise the target's device.
Drive-by URL: The malicious URL in the message takes the user to a familiar-looking website that silently runs and/or installs code on the user's device.
OAuth Consent Grant: The malicious URL asks users to grant permissions to data for a malicious Azure Application.
License Requirements:
Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2.
References
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DEF-SIM-E5 | ATT&CK Simulation Training | Technique Scores | T1539 | Steal Web Session Cookie |
Comments
M365's Defender Attack Simulation Training allows organizations to automate the simulation of benign real-world cyberattacks. These simulation automations feature social engineering techniques, payloads, and can start on an automated schedule. This detection focused security control partially improves organizations security posture by continuously conduct attack simulations that fine tune analytics, and provide hands-on training for users and cyber professionals to improve response capabilities.
The following social engineering techniques are available:
Credential Harvest: Attempts to collect credentials by taking users to a well-known looking website with input boxes to submit a username and password.
Malware Attachment: Adds a malicious attachment to a message. When the user opens the attachment, arbitrary code is run that helps the attacker compromise the target's device.
Link in Attachment: A type of credential harvest hybrid. An attacker inserts a URL into an email attachment. The URL within the attachment follows the same technique as credential harvest.
Link to Malware: Runs some arbitrary code from a file hosted on a well-known file sharing service. The message sent to the user contains a link to this malicious file, opening the file and helping the attacker compromise the target's device.
Drive-by URL: The malicious URL in the message takes the user to a familiar-looking website that silently runs and/or installs code on the user's device.
OAuth Consent Grant: The malicious URL asks users to grant permissions to data for a malicious Azure Application.
License Requirements:
Microsoft 365 E5 or Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2.
References
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