T1606.001 Web Cookies

Adversaries may forge web cookies that can be used to gain access to web applications or Internet services. Web applications and services (hosted in cloud SaaS environments or on-premise servers) often use session cookies to authenticate and authorize user access.

Adversaries may generate these cookies in order to gain access to web resources. This differs from Steal Web Session Cookie and other similar behaviors in that the cookies are new and forged by the adversary, rather than stolen or intercepted from legitimate users. Most common web applications have standardized and documented cookie values that can be generated using provided tools or interfaces.(Citation: Pass The Cookie) The generation of web cookies often requires secret values, such as passwords, Private Keys, or other cryptographic seed values.

Once forged, adversaries may use these web cookies to access resources (Web Session Cookie), which may bypass multi-factor and other authentication protection mechanisms.(Citation: Volexity SolarWinds)(Citation: Pass The Cookie)(Citation: Unit 42 Mac Crypto Cookies January 2019)

View in MITRE ATT&CK®

CRI Profile Mappings

Capability ID Capability Description Mapping Type ATT&CK ID ATT&CK Name Notes
PR.PS-01.01 Configuration baselines Mitigates T1606.001 Web Cookies
Comments
This diagnostic statement provides for securely configuring production systems. This includes hardening default configurations and making security-focused setting adjustments to reduce the attack surface, enforce best practices, and protect sensitive data thereby mitigating adversary exploitation.
References
    PR.PS-01.02 Least functionality Mitigates T1606.001 Web Cookies
    Comments
    This diagnostic statement provides for limiting unnecessary software, services, ports, protocols, etc. Ensuring systems only have installed and enabled what is essential for their operation reduces the attack surface and minimizes vulnerabilities, which mitigates a wide range of techniques.
    References
      DE.CM-03.03 Privileged account monitoring Mitigates T1606.001 Web Cookies
      Comments
      This diagnostic statement implements mechanisms and tools to mitigate potential misuse of privileged users and accounts. Continuous monitoring of role and attribute assignments and activity is essential to prevent and detect unauthorized access or misuse.
      References
        PR.PS-01.03 Configuration deviation Mitigates T1606.001 Web Cookies
        Comments
        This diagnostic statement provides protection from Web Cookies through the implementation of security configuration baselines for OS, software, file integrity monitoring and imaging. Baseline security configuration including the automated deletion of cookies can help protect against adversaries attempting to compromise and modify software and its configurations.
        References

          NIST 800-53 Mappings

          Capability ID Capability Description Mapping Type ATT&CK ID ATT&CK Name Notes
          SI-02 Flaw Remediation mitigates T1606.001 Web Cookies
          AC-02 Account Management mitigates T1606.001 Web Cookies
          AC-03 Access Enforcement mitigates T1606.001 Web Cookies
          AC-06 Least Privilege mitigates T1606.001 Web Cookies

          VERIS Mappings

          Capability ID Capability Description Mapping Type ATT&CK ID ATT&CK Name Notes
          action.hacking.variety.Session prediction Credential or session prediction. Child of 'Exploit vuln'. related-to T1606.001 Web Cookies
          action.hacking.variety.Unknown Unknown related-to T1606.001 Web Cookies