ByteOS Network

CAPEC-653:Use of Known Operating System Credentials

Attack Pattern ID:653

Version:v3.9

Attack Pattern Name:Use of Known Operating System Credentials

Abstraction:Standard

Status:Draft

Likelihood of Attack:High

Typical Severity:High

Details Content History Related Weaknesses Reports

▼Description

An adversary guesses or obtains (i.e. steals or purchases) legitimate operating system credentials (e.g. userID/password) to achieve authentication and to perform authorized actions on the system, under the guise of an authenticated user or service. This applies to any Operating System.

▼Extended Description

This attack can be extremely harmful when the operating system credentials used are for a root or admin user. Once an adversary gains access using credentials with elevated privileges, they are free to alter important system files which can effect other users who may use the system or other users on the system's network.

▼Relationships

Nature	Type	ID	Name
ChildOf	M	560	Use of Known Domain Credentials
ParentOf	D	561	Windows Admin Shares with Stolen Credentials
ParentOf	D	644	Use of Captured Hashes (Pass The Hash)
CanFollow	D	16	Dictionary-based Password Attack
CanFollow	S	49	Password Brute Forcing
CanFollow	S	50	Password Recovery Exploitation
CanFollow	D	55	Rainbow Table Password Cracking
CanFollow	D	70	Try Common or Default Usernames and Passwords
CanFollow	D	565	Password Spraying
CanFollow	D	568	Capture Credentials via Keylogger
CanFollow	S	600	Credential Stuffing
CanPrecede	M	151	Identity Spoofing

Nature: ChildOf

Type: Meta

ID: 560

Name: Use of Known Domain Credentials

Nature: ParentOf

Type: Detailed

ID: 561

Name: Windows Admin Shares with Stolen Credentials

Nature: ParentOf

Type: Detailed

ID: 644

Name: Use of Captured Hashes (Pass The Hash)

Nature: CanFollow

Type: Detailed

ID: 16

Name: Dictionary-based Password Attack

Nature: CanFollow

Type: Standard

ID: 49

Name: Password Brute Forcing

Nature: CanFollow

Type: Standard

ID: 50

Name: Password Recovery Exploitation

Nature: CanFollow

Type: Detailed

ID: 55

Name: Rainbow Table Password Cracking

Nature: CanFollow

Type: Detailed

ID: 70

Name: Try Common or Default Usernames and Passwords

Nature: CanFollow

Type: Detailed

ID: 565

Name: Password Spraying

Nature: CanFollow

Type: Detailed

ID: 568

Name: Capture Credentials via Keylogger

Nature: CanFollow

Type: Standard

ID: 600

Name: Credential Stuffing

Nature: CanPrecede

Type: Meta

ID: 151

Name: Identity Spoofing

▼Execution Flow

Explore

Acquire known operating system credentials

The adversary must obtain known operating system credentials in order to access the target system, application, or service within the domain.

Technique
An adversary purchases breached operating system username/password combinations or leaked hashed passwords from the dark web.
An adversary leverages a key logger or phishing attack to steal user credentials as they are provided.
An adversary conducts a sniffing attack to steal operating system credentials as they are transmitted.
An adversary gains access to a system/files and exfiltrates password hashes.
An adversary examines outward-facing configuration and properties files to discover hardcoded credentials.

Experiment

Attempt authentication

Try each operating system credential against various systems, applications, and services within the domain until the target grants access.

Technique
Manually or automatically enter each credential through the target's interface.

Exploit

Impersonate

An adversary can use successful experiments or authentications to impersonate an authorized user or system, or to laterally move within the network

Spoofing

Malicious data can be injected into the target system or into other systems on the network. The adversary can also pose as a legitimate user to perform social engineering attacks.

Data Exfiltration

The adversary can obtain sensitive data contained within system files or application configuration.

▼Prerequisites

The system/application uses one factor password-based authentication, SSO, and/or cloud-based authentication.

The system/application does not have a sound password policy that is being enforced.

The system/application does not implement an effective password throttling mechanism.

The adversary possesses a list of known user accounts and corresponding passwords that may exist on the target.

▼Skills Required

Low

Once an adversary obtains a known credential, leveraging it is trivial.

▼Resources Required

A list of known credentials for the targeted domain.

A custom script that leverages a credential list to launch an attack.

▼Indicators

Authentication attempts use credentials that have been used previously by the account in question.

Authentication attempts are originating from IP addresses or locations that are inconsistent with a user's normal IP addresses or locations.

Data is being transferred and/or removed from systems/applications within the network.

Suspicious or Malicious software is downloaded/installed on systems within the domain.

Messages from a legitimate user appear to contain suspicious links or communications not consistent with the user's normal behavior.

▼Consequences

Scope	Likelihood	Impact	Note
ConfidentialityAccess ControlAuthentication	N/A	Gain Privileges	N/A
ConfidentialityAuthorization	N/A	Read Data	N/A
Integrity	N/A	Modify Data	N/A

Scope: Confidentiality, Access Control, Authentication

Likelihood: N/A

Impact: Gain Privileges

Note: N/A

Scope: Confidentiality, Authorization

Likelihood: N/A

Impact: Read Data

Note: N/A

Scope: Integrity

Likelihood: N/A

Impact: Modify Data

Note: N/A

▼Mitigations

Leverage multi-factor authentication for all authentication services and prior to granting an entity access to the network.

Create a strong password policy and ensure that your system enforces this policy.

Ensure users are not reusing username/password combinations for multiple systems, applications, or services.

Do not reuse local administrator account credentials across systems.

Deny remote use of local admin credentials to log into domain systems.

Do not allow accounts to be a local administrator on more than one system.

Implement an intelligent password throttling mechanism. Care must be taken to assure that these mechanisms do not excessively enable account lockout attacks such as CAPEC-2.

Monitor system and domain logs for abnormal credential access.

▼Example Instances

▼Related Weaknesses

ID	Name
CWE-262	Not Using Password Aging
CWE-263	Password Aging with Long Expiration
CWE-307	Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts
CWE-308	Use of Single-factor Authentication
CWE-309	Use of Password System for Primary Authentication
CWE-522	Insufficiently Protected Credentials
CWE-654	Reliance on a Single Factor in a Security Decision