Sub-technique of T1056 Input Capture.View on attack.mitre.org
Adversaries may hook into Windows application programming interface (API) functions and Linux system functions to collect user credentials. Malicious hooking mechanisms may capture API or function calls that include parameters that reveal user authentication credentials. Unlike Keylogging, this technique focuses specifically on API functions that include parameters that reveal user credentials.
In Windows, hooking involves redirecting calls to these functions and can be implemented via:
* **Hooks procedures**, which intercept and execute designated code in response to events such as messages, keystrokes, and mouse inputs.
* **Import address table (IAT) hooking**, which use modifications to a process’s IAT, where pointers to imported API functions are stored.
* **Inline hooking**, which overwrites the first bytes in an API function to redirect code flow.
In Linux and macOS, adversaries may hook into system functions via the `LD_PRELOAD` (Linux) or `DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES` (macOS) environment variables, which enables loading shared libraries into a program’s address space. For example, an adversary may capture credentials by hooking into the `libc read` function leveraged by SSH or SCP.
Rules on DetectionCode tagged with T1056.004.
None recorded.
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| GroupPLATINUM | PLATINUM is capable of using Windows hook interfaces for information gathering such as credential access. |
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| MalwareCarberp | Carberp has hooked several Windows API functions to steal credentials. |
| ToolEmpire | Empire contains some modules that leverage API hooking to carry out tasks, such as netripper. |
| MalwareFinFisher | FinFisher hooks processes by modifying IAT pointers to CreateWindowEx. |
| MalwareNOKKI | NOKKI uses the Windows call SetWindowsHookEx and begins injecting it into every GUI process running on the victim's machine. |
| MalwareRDFSNIFFER | RDFSNIFFER hooks several Win32 API functions to hijack elements of the remote system management user-interface. |
| MalwareTrickBot | TrickBot has the ability to capture RDP credentials by capturing the |
| MalwareUrsnif | Ursnif has hooked APIs to perform a wide variety of information theft, such as monitoring traffic from browsers. |
| MalwareVersaMem | VersaMem hooked and overrided Versa's built-in authentication method, `setUserPassword`, to intercept plaintext credentials when submitted to the server. |
Data from MITRE ATT&CK® (Enterprise). ATT&CK® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
