Adversaries may communicate using application layer protocols associated with electronic mail delivery 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 SMTP/S, POP3/S, and IMAP that carry electronic mail 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 email messages themselves. An adversary may abuse these protocols to communicate with systems under their control within a victim network while also mimicking normal, expected traffic.(Citation: FireEye APT28)
View in MITRE ATT&CK®| Capability ID | Capability Description | Mapping Type | ATT&CK ID | ATT&CK Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I&S-03 | Network Security | mitigates | T1071.003 | Mail 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 electronic mail delivery to embed commands.
References
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| I&S-09 | Network Defense | mitigates | T1071.003 | Mail 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 electronic mail delivery to embed commands.
References
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