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T1547.003 Time Providers

Adversaries may abuse time providers to execute DLLs when the system boots. The Windows Time service (W32Time) enables time synchronization across and within domains.(Citation: Microsoft W32Time Feb 2018) W32Time time providers are responsible for retrieving time stamps from hardware/network resources and outputting these values to other network clients.(Citation: Microsoft TimeProvider)

Time providers are implemented as dynamic-link libraries (DLLs) that are registered in the subkeys of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\.(Citation: Microsoft TimeProvider) The time provider manager, directed by the service control manager, loads and starts time providers listed and enabled under this key at system startup and/or whenever parameters are changed.(Citation: Microsoft TimeProvider)

Adversaries may abuse this architecture to establish persistence, specifically by creating a new arbitrarily named subkey pointing to a malicious DLL in the DllName value. Administrator privileges are required for time provider registration, though execution will run in context of the Local Service account.(Citation: Github W32Time Oct 2017)

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CRI Profile Mappings

Capability ID Capability Description Mapping Type ATT&CK ID ATT&CK Name Notes
PR.PS-01.04 Time services and synchronization Mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
Comments
The diagnostic statement focuses on the importance of maintaining accurate and resilient time synchronization across systems. By ensuring that time services are designed with security and reliability in mind, organizations reduce the risk of adversaries tampering with time provider components or disrupting time synchronization processes described in the Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Time Providers technique.
References
    PR.PS-01.04 Time services and synchronization Mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
    Comments
    The diagnostic statement focuses on the importance of maintaining accurate and resilient time synchronization across systems. By ensuring that time services are designed with security and reliability in mind, organizations reduce the risk of adversaries tampering with time provider components or disrupting time synchronization processes described in the Boot or Logon Autostart Execution: Time Providers technique.
    References

      NIST 800-53 Mappings

      Capability ID Capability Description Mapping Type ATT&CK ID ATT&CK Name Notes
      CA-07 Continuous Monitoring mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      CM-06 Configuration Settings mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      CM-05 Access Restrictions for Change mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      AC-17 Remote Access mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      SI-07 Software, Firmware, and Information Integrity mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      CM-02 Baseline Configuration mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      SI-04 System Monitoring mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      AC-03 Access Enforcement mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      AC-04 Information Flow Enforcement mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers
      AC-06 Least Privilege mitigates T1547.003 Time Providers

      VERIS Mappings

      Capability ID Capability Description Mapping Type ATT&CK ID ATT&CK Name Notes
      attribute.integrity.variety.Modify configuration Modified configuration or services related-to T1547.003 Time Providers

      Azure Mappings

      Capability ID Capability Description Mapping Type ATT&CK ID ATT&CK Name Notes
      file_integrity_monitoring Microsoft Defender for Cloud: File Integrity Monitoring technique_scores T1547.003 Time Providers
      Comments
      This control may detect changes to the Windows registry or files that enable Boot or Logon Autostart Execution. This control at worst scans for changes on an hourly basis.
      References
      1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/defender-for-cloud/file-integrity-monitoring-overview