Adversaries may delete files left behind by the actions of their intrusion activity. Malware, tools, or other non-native files dropped or created on a system by an adversary (ex: Ingress Tool Transfer) may leave traces to indicate to what was done within a network and how. Removal of these files can occur during an intrusion, or as part of a post-intrusion process to minimize the adversary's footprint.
There are tools available from the host operating system to perform cleanup, but adversaries may use other tools as well.(Citation: Microsoft SDelete July 2016) Examples of built-in Command and Scripting Interpreter functions include <code>del</code> on Windows and <code>rm</code> or <code>unlink</code> on Linux and macOS.
View in MITRE ATT&CK®Capability ID | Capability Description | Mapping Type | ATT&CK ID | ATT&CK Name | Notes |
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intel-tdt | Intel Threat Detection Technology | CrowdStrike AMS | T1070.004 | File Deletion |
Comments
Intel Threat Detection Technology (TDT), combined with CrowdStrike Falcon Accelerated Memory Scanning (CAMS), enhances cybersecurity defenses by enabling faster, real-time detection of file deletion exploits. This integrated solution strengthens CrowdStrike Falcon, improving its ability to detect and mitigate cyber threats earlier in the kill chain, all while minimizing system performance impact.
File deletion exploits involve adversaries using malicious techniques to delete critical files or system components, often to disrupt operations or cover their tracks after executing an attack. These actions may include removing logs, system configurations, or other files vital to the operation of security defenses. Intel TDT plays a crucial role in identifying these threats by providing real-time telemetry on program execution, memory access, and control flow, enabling rapid detection of abnormal behaviors that could indicate unauthorized file deletion actions.
Additionally, CAMS offloads the memory scanning workload from the CPU to the Intel Integrated GPU, allowing for faster, more efficient detection of malicious activity without degrading system performance. CAMS helps identify suspicious behaviors, such as attempts to delete critical files or cover up traces of malicious activity, providing a proactive defense against attackers trying to evade detection through file manipulation.
References
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Capability ID | Capability Description | Mapping Type | ATT&CK ID | ATT&CK Name | Notes |
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CVE-2021-40539 | Zoho ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus Authentication Bypass Vulnerability | secondary_impact | T1070.004 | File Deletion |
Comments
This is an authentication bypass vulnerability that can enable remote code execution.
Numerous post-exploitation impacts by threat actors are detailed in the referenced CISA report.
References
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CVE-2020-5902 | F5 BIG-IP Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability | secondary_impact | T1070.004 | File Deletion |
Comments
CVE-2020-5902 is a RCE vulnerability in the Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI) that allows for unauthenticated attackers, or authenticated users, with network access to the Configuration Utility (through the BIG-IP management port and/or self IPs) to execute arbitrary system commands, create or delete files, disable services, and execute arbitrary Java code.The Traffic Management User Interface (TMUI)
References
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CVE-2021-44077 | Zoho ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus Remote Code Execution Vulnerability | secondary_impact | T1070.004 | File Deletion |
Comments
CVE-2021-44077 is an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability. The following post-exploitation activity has been observed by adversaries: writing webshells to disk for persistence, obfuscating and deobfuscating/decoding files or information, dumping user credentials, only using signed windows binaries for follow-on actions, adding/deleting user accounts as needed, exfiltrating the active directory database, using windows management instrumentation for remote execution, deleting files to remove indicators from the host, discovering domain accounts, collecting and archiving files for exfiltration, and using symmetric encryption for command and control.
References
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CVE-2023-22952 | Multiple SugarCRM Products Remote Code Execution Vulnerability | secondary_impact | T1070.004 | File Deletion |
Comments
This Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability is exploited by an unauthenticated attacker via a crafted request can inject custom PHP code through the EmailTemplates because of missing input validation.
This vulnerability has been exploited by threat actors to gain initial access to AWS accounts by injecting custom PHP code through the SugarCRM email templates module. Attackers leveraged misconfigurations to expand their access, obtaining long-term AWS access keys from compromised EC2 instances. They used tools like Pacu and Scout Suite to explore AWS services such as EC2, IAM, RDS, and S3, and gathered account information via AWS Organizations and Cost and Usage services. The attackers moved laterally by creating RDS snapshots and new EC2 instances, modifying security groups, and attempting to escalate privileges by logging in as the Root user. They also employed defense evasion techniques, including deploying resources in non-standard regions and intermittently stopping EC2 instances to avoid detection and minimize costs.
The exploit in question is actively being used to compromise hosts by installing a PHP-based web shell. It involves an authentication bypass against the "/index.php" endpoint of the targeted service. Once bypassed, the attacker obtains a cookie and sends a secondary POST request to "/cache/images/sweet.phar" to upload a small PNG-encoded file containing PHP code. This file acts as a web shell, allowing the execution of commands specified in the base64-encoded query argument "c". For example, a request like 'POST /cache/images/sweet.phar?c="L2Jpbi9pZA=="' would execute the command "/bin/id" with the same permissions as the web service's user.
References
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