Adversaries may employ various means to detect and avoid virtualization and analysis environments. This may include changing behaviors based on the results of checks for the presence of artifacts indicative of a virtual machine environment (VME) or sandbox. If the adversary detects a VME, they may alter their malware to disengage from the victim or conceal the core functions of the implant. They may also search for VME artifacts before dropping secondary or additional payloads. Adversaries may use the information learned from Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion during automated discovery to shape follow-on behaviors.(Citation: Deloitte Environment Awareness)
Adversaries may use several methods to accomplish Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion such as checking for security monitoring tools (e.g., Sysinternals, Wireshark, etc.) or other system artifacts associated with analysis or virtualization. Adversaries may also check for legitimate user activity to help determine if it is in an analysis environment. Additional methods include use of sleep timers or loops within malware code to avoid operating within a temporary sandbox.(Citation: Unit 42 Pirpi July 2015)
View in MITRE ATT&CK®| Capability ID | Capability Description | Mapping Type | ATT&CK ID | ATT&CK Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2014-0546 | Adobe Acrobat and Reader Sandbox Bypass Vulnerability | primary_impact | T1497 | Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion |
Comments
This vulnerability allows bypassing sandbox protection and run native code.
References
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| CVE-2015-3113 | Adobe Flash Player Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability | secondary_impact | T1497 | Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion |
Comments
This heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability is exploited by having a user open a maliciously-crafted file.
In the wild, this exploitation has been used in order to establish command and control (over HTTP) with a target system. The command and control functionality has also been seen to employ debugging/sandboxing evasion.
References
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