Sub-technique of T1134 Access Token Manipulation.View on attack.mitre.org
Adversaries may create a new process with an existing token to escalate privileges and bypass access controls. Processes can be created with the token and resulting security context of another user using features such as CreateProcessWithTokenW and runas.
Creating processes with a token not associated with the current user may require the credentials of the target user, specific privileges to impersonate that user, or access to the token to be used. For example, the token could be duplicated via Token Impersonation/Theft or created via Make and Impersonate Token before being used to create a process.
While this technique is distinct from Token Impersonation/Theft, the techniques can be used in conjunction where a token is duplicated and then used to create a new process.
Rules on DetectionCode tagged with T1134.002.
| Rule | Level | Log source |
|---|---|---|
| Meterpreter or Cobalt Strike Getsystem Service Installation - Security | high | windows / NULL |
| Meterpreter or Cobalt Strike Getsystem Service Installation - System | high | windows / NULL |
| Potential Meterpreter/CobaltStrike Activity | high | windows / process_creation |
| PUA - AdvancedRun Suspicious Execution | high | windows / process_creation |
| Suspicious Child Process Created as System | high | windows / process_creation |
| PUA - AdvancedRun Execution | medium | windows / process_creation |
| Rule | Type | Risk | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Access Token Manipulation SeDebugPrivilege | Anomaly | NULL | Windows Event Log Security 4703 |
None recorded.
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| GroupLazarus Group | Lazarus Group keylogger KiloAlfa obtains user tokens from interactive sessions to execute itself with API call |
| GroupTurla | Turla RPC backdoors can impersonate or steal process tokens before executing commands. |
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| MalwareAria-body | Aria-body has the ability to execute a process using |
| MalwareAzorult | Azorult can call WTSQueryUserToken and CreateProcessAsUser to start a new process with local system privileges. |
| MalwareBankshot | Bankshot grabs a user token using WTSQueryUserToken and then creates a process by impersonating a logged-on user. |
| ToolEmpire | Empire can use |
| MalwareKONNI | KONNI has duplicated the token of a high integrity process to spawn an instance of cmd.exe under an impersonated user. |
| MalwarePipeMon | PipeMon can attempt to gain administrative privileges using token impersonation. |
| ToolPoshC2 | PoshC2 can use Invoke-RunAs to make tokens. |
| MalwareREvil | REvil can launch an instance of itself with administrative rights using runas. |
Data from MITRE ATT&CK® (Enterprise). ATT&CK® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
