Technique.View on attack.mitre.org
An adversary may steal web application or service session cookies and use them to gain access to web applications or Internet services as an authenticated user without needing credentials. Web applications and services often use session cookies as an authentication token after a user has authenticated to a website.
Cookies are often valid for an extended period of time, even if the web application is not actively used. Cookies can be found on disk, in the process memory of the browser, and in network traffic to remote systems. Additionally, other applications on the targets machine might store sensitive authentication cookies in memory (e.g. apps which authenticate to cloud services). Session cookies can be used to bypasses some multi-factor authentication protocols.
There are several examples of malware targeting cookies from web browsers on the local system. Adversaries may also steal cookies by injecting malicious JavaScript content into websites or relying on User Execution by tricking victims into running malicious JavaScript in their browser.
There are also open source frameworks such as `Evilginx2` and `Muraena` that can gather session cookies through a malicious proxy (e.g., Adversary-in-the-Middle) that can be set up by an adversary and used in phishing campaigns.
After an adversary acquires a valid cookie, they can then perform a Web Session Cookie technique to login to the corresponding web application.
Rules on DetectionCode tagged with T1539.
| Rule | Level | Log source |
|---|---|---|
| SQLite Chromium Profile Data DB Access | high | windows / process_creation |
| SQLite Firefox Profile Data DB Access | high | windows / process_creation |
| Rule | Type | Risk | Data source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okta Suspicious Use of a Session Cookie | Anomaly | NULL | Okta |
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| GroupAPT42 | APT42 has used custom malware to steal login and cookie data from common browsers. |
| GroupEvilnum | Evilnum can steal cookies and session information from browsers. |
| GroupKimsuky | Kimsuky has used malware, such as TRANSLATEXT, to steal and exfiltrate browser cookies. |
| GroupLotus Blossom | Lotus Blossom has used publicly-available tools to steal cookies from browsers such as Chrome. |
| GroupLuminousMoth | LuminousMoth has used an unnamed post-exploitation tool to steal cookies from the Chrome browser. |
| GroupSandworm Team | Sandworm Team used information stealer malware to collect browser session cookies. |
| GroupScattered Spider | Scattered Spider retrieves browser cookies via Raccoon Stealer. |
| GroupStar Blizzard | Star Blizzard has used EvilGinx to steal the session cookies of victims directed to |
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| MalwareBLUELIGHT | BLUELIGHT can harvest cookies from Internet Explorer, Edge, Chrome, and Naver Whale browsers. |
| MalwareChaes | Chaes has used a script that extracts the web session cookie and sends it to the C2 server. |
| MalwareCookieMiner | CookieMiner can steal Google Chrome and Apple Safari browser cookies from the victim’s machine. |
| MalwareDarkGate | DarkGate attempts to steal Opera cookies, if present, after terminating the related process. |
| Toolevilginx2 | evilginx2 can collect information on each session with a victim including the session cookie. |
| MalwareEVILNUM | EVILNUM can harvest cookies and upload them to the C2 server. |
| MalwareGlassWorm | GlassWorm has harvested Safari cookies stored within `/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari/Data/Library/Cookies/ Cookies.binarycookies`. GlassWorm has also stolen cookies within Chromium and Firefox browsers. |
| MalwareGrandoreiro | Grandoreiro can steal the victim's cookies to use for duplicating the active session from another device. |
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| CampaignSolarWinds Compromise | During the SolarWinds Compromise, APT29 stole Chrome browser cookies by copying the Chrome profile directories of targeted users. |
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