T1071.001 Web Protocols

This diagnostic statement provides for implementation of methods to block similar future attacks via security tools such as antivirus and IDS/IPS to provide protection against threats and exploitation attempts.

This diagnostic statement protects against adversaries that may try to utilize different protocols, such as HTTPS and web socket, to blend in with existing traffic. Network intrusion detection and prevention systems that use network signatures to identify traffic for specific adversary malware can be used to mitigate activity at the network level.

This diagnostic statement describes how the organization establishes and manages baseline measures of network activity. Supported by network monitoring tools and other controls to detect events and identify incidents. Mitigating mechanisms may include: Data Loss Prevention (DLP); Filtering Network Traffic; Limit Network Traffic; Network Intrusion Prevention Systems (NIPS); and Network Segmentation for these type of network-based techniques.

This diagnostic statement protects against Web Protocols through the use of secure network configurations, architecture, implementations of zero trust architecture, and segmentation.

To exploit this vulnerability, adversaries sent spearphishing emails with URLs to webpages with maliciously crafted javascript. The adversaries then download a payload.

This vulnerability is exploited by having the user open a maliciously-crafted pdf file. In the wild, this has been observed to result in a malicious actor installing a custom executable on the victim's machine, and establishing communications.

This vulnerability is exploited by an attacker who has obtained administrative console access on the target system. The vulnerability lies in the Win32k driver, specifically in the NtGdiResetDC function, due to improper handling of user-mode callbacks. This vulnerability has been exploited by threat actors to gain elevated privileges on Windows servers. Attackers leveraged this flaw to execute arbitrary kernel commands, allowing them to manipulate system processes and potentially deploy additional malware or perform further malicious activities. The exploit in question is actively being used in the wild, primarily in espionage campaigns. It involves triggering a use-after-free condition by executing the ResetDC function a second time for the same handle during a callback. Once the vulnerability is exploited, attackers can manipulate memory to perform arbitrary kernel function calls with controlled parameters. This allows them to achieve their objectives, such as reading and writing kernel memory, with the same permissions as the compromised system's user.

CVE-2024-4978 is a vulnerability where compromised software is signed and hosted on the legitimate software distribution website. Adversaries have been observed to use this backdoored software to install additional tools on target machines. The adversary-installed software establishing persistent communications with a command-and-control (C2) server using Windows sockets and WinHTTP requests. Once successfully connected, it transmits data about the compromised host, including hostname, operating system details, processor architecture, program working directory and the user name to the C2.

CVE-2024-4577 is a PHP argument injection vulnerability that allows an adversary to execute arbitrary php commands. Threat actors have been observed utilizing Cobalt Strike and the TaoWu toolkit for post-exploitation activities, such as conducting reconnaisance, establishing persistence, escalating privileges to SYSTEM level, and harvesting credentials.

CVE-2022-42475 is a remotely-expoitable heap overflow vulnerability. Adversaries have been observed exploiting this vulnerability to deliver malicious software to the target device. This malicious software has observed anti-debugging and command and control capabilities (over HTTP).

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.

The vulnerability in Realtek Jungle chipsets is exploited by remote, unauthenticated attackers using UDP packets to a server on port 9034, enabling remote execution of arbitrary commands. The attack involves injecting a shell command that downloads and executes a shell script on the compromised device. This script downloads binaries for various CPU architectures, such as ARM, MIPS, and SuperH, primarily from the Mirai malware family, turning the device into a botnet node. The attack script connects to a malicious IP to download and execute malware, with threats mainly from Mirai, Gafgyt, and Mozi families. It also includes a new DDoS botnet called RedGoBot, developed in Golang. The script uses wget and curl to download botnet clients for different processor architectures. RedGoBot can perform DDoS attacks on various protocols, including HTTP, ICMP, TCP, UDP, VSE, and OpenVPN, upon receiving commands from the threat operator. Additionally, injected commands can write binary payloads to files for execution or reboot the targeted server to cause denial of service.

This vulnerability was exploited by unauthenticated actors who accessed the System Manager Portal of Ivanti MobileIron Sentry via port 8433, leveraging an authentication bypass flaw to achieve remote code execution. This flaw allows attackers to access sensitive APIs, enabling them to change configurations, execute system commands, or write files onto the system. This vulnerability was part of a campaign involving cryptocurrency mining and internal network reconnaissance. The exploitation allowed attackers to deploy malicious tools and conduct unauthorized activities within the network, ultimately compromising system integrity and security.The exploitation facilitated unauthorized access to the Ivanti Sentry server, allowing the execution of OS commands as a system administrator using "sudo." Observations revealed that suspicious SSL connections over port 8433 led to HTTP GET requests, indicating the abuse of command-line utilities like wget and cURL.

This vulnerability gives an adversary access through exploitation of a public-facing server.

The following Microsoft Sentinel Analytics queries can identify potentially malicious use of web protocols: "Powershell Empire cmdlets seen in command line" can identify use of Empire, which can perform command and control over protocols like HTTP and HTTPS. "Request for single resource on domain" can identify patterns that suggest possible command and control beaconing. The coverage for these queries is minimal resulting in an overall Minimal score.

This control can identify connections to known malicious sites. Scored minimal since the malicious sites must be on a block list.

This control can detect protocol attacks targeting web applications that may be indicative of adversary activity.

This control can protect web applications from protocol attacks that may be indicative of adversary activity.

Chrome Enterprise Premium provides checks for sensitive data and protection from content that may contain malware. This also enables certain files to be sent for analysis, and in return the admin can then choose to allow or block uploads and downloads for those scanned and unscanned files. End users can also be prevented from accessing pages specified by a list of URL patterns.

Google Security Ops is able to trigger an alert based on system events of interest, for example: detection of the Sunburst C2 channel used as backdoor access in the SolarWinds compromise. This technique was scored as minimal based on low or uncertain detection coverage factor. https://github.com/chronicle/detection-rules/blob/783e0e5947774785db1c55041b70176deeca6f46/soc_prime_rules/ioc_sigma/dns/solarwinds_backdoor_c2_host_name_detected___via_dns.yaral

GuardDuty flags events matching the following finding types that relate to adversaries attempting to communicate using application layer protocols to avoid detection. UnauthorizedAccess:EC2/MaliciousIPCaller.Custom Backdoor:EC2/C&CActivity.B Backdoor:EC2/C&CActivity.B!DNS Trojan:EC2/BlackholeTraffic Trojan:EC2/BlackholeTraffic!DNS Trojan:EC2/DropPoint Trojan:EC2/DropPoint!DNS Backdoor:EC2/C&CActivity.B Impact:EC2/MaliciousDomainRequest.Reputation Impact:EC2/SuspiciousDomainRequest.Reputation

AWS Network Firewall has the ability to pass, drop, or alert on traffic based on the network protocol as well as perform deep packet inspection on the payload. This functionality can be used to block malicious or unwanted traffic leveraging application layer protocols. As a result, this mapping is given a score of Significant.

AWS WAF protects against this by inspecting incoming requests and blocking malicious traffic. AWS WAF uses the following rule sets to provide this protection. AWSManagedRulesCommonRuleSet AWSManagedRulesAdminProtectionRuleSet AWSManagedRulesKnownBadInputsRuleSet AWSManagedRulesSQLiRuleSet AWSManagedRulesLinuxRuleSet AWSManagedRulesUnixRuleSet AWSManagedRulesWindowsRuleSet AWSManagedRulesPHPRuleSet AWSManagedRulesWordPressRuleSet AWSManagedRulesBotControlRuleSet This is scored as Minimal because the rule sets only protect against the web protocols sub-technique.