Adversaries may communicate using application layer protocols associated with transferring files to avoid detection/network filtering by blending in with existing traffic. Commands to the remote system, and often the results of those commands, will be embedded within the protocol traffic between the client and server.
Protocols such as SMB(Citation: US-CERT TA18-074A), FTP(Citation: ESET Machete July 2019), FTPS, and TFTP that transfer files may be very common in environments. Packets produced from these protocols may have many fields and headers in which data can be concealed. Data could also be concealed within the transferred files. An adversary may abuse these protocols to communicate with systems under their control within a victim network while also mimicking normal, expected traffic.
View in MITRE ATT&CK®| Capability ID | Capability Description | Mapping Type | ATT&CK ID | ATT&CK Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I&S-03 | Network Security | mitigates | T1071.002 | File Transfer Protocols |
Comments
This control provides for monitoring, encrypting, and restricting communications between environments. Network intrusion detection and prevention systems that use network signatures to identify traffic for specific malware can be used to mitigate activity at the network level, such as adversary use of application layer protocols associated with transferring files to embed commands.
References
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| I&S-09 | Network Defense | mitigates | T1071.002 | File Transfer Protocols |
Comments
This control provides for the implementation of defense-in-depth network security controls for securing the cloud environment. Network intrusion detection and prevention systems that use network signatures to identify traffic for specific malware can be used to mitigate activity at the network level, such as adversary use of application layer protocols associated with transferring files to embed commands.
References
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