Sub-technique of T1584 Compromise Infrastructure.View on attack.mitre.org
Adversaries may compromise third-party Virtual Private Servers (VPSs) that can be used during targeting. There exist a variety of cloud service providers that will sell virtual machines/containers as a service. Adversaries may compromise VPSs purchased by third-party entities. By compromising a VPS to use as infrastructure, adversaries can make it difficult to physically tie back operations to themselves.
Compromising a VPS for use in later stages of the adversary lifecycle, such as Command and Control, can allow adversaries to benefit from the ubiquity and trust associated with higher reputation cloud service providers as well as that added by the compromised third-party.
Rules on DetectionCode tagged with T1584.003.
None recorded.
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| GroupTurla | Turla has used the VPS infrastructure of compromised Iranian threat actors. |
| GroupVolt Typhoon | Volt Typhoon has compromised Virtual Private Servers (VPS) to proxy C2 traffic. |
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| Campaign2025 Poland Wiper Attacks | During the 2025 Poland Wiper Attacks, the adversaries used compromised VPS servers for C2. |
| CampaignOperation MidnightEclipse | During Operation MidnightEclipse, threat actors abused Virtual Private Servers to store malicious files. |
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