Sub-technique of T1585 Establish Accounts.View on attack.mitre.org
Adversaries may create email accounts that can be used during targeting. Adversaries can use accounts created with email providers to further their operations, such as leveraging them to conduct Phishing for Information or Phishing. Establishing email accounts may also allow adversaries to abuse free services – such as trial periods – to Acquire Infrastructure for follow-on purposes.
Adversaries may also take steps to cultivate a persona around the email account, such as through use of Social Media Accounts, to increase the chance of success of follow-on behaviors. Created email accounts can also be used in the acquisition of infrastructure (ex: Domains).
To decrease the chance of physically tying back operations to themselves, adversaries may make use of disposable email services.
Rules on DetectionCode tagged with T1585.002.
None recorded.
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| GroupAPT1 | APT1 has created email accounts for later use in social engineering, phishing, and when registering domains. |
| GroupAPT42 | APT42 has created email accounts to use in spearphishing operations. |
| GroupContagious Interview | Contagious Interview has created fake email accounts to correspond with social media accounts, fake LinkedIn personas, code repository accounts, and job announcements on development job board services. Contagious Interview has also utilized fake email accounts with Threat Intelligence vendor services. ESET Contagious Interview BeaverTail InvisibleFerret February 2025PaloAlto Unit42 ContagiousInterview BeaverTail InvisibileFerret October 2024Recorded Future Contagious Inteview BeaverTail InvisibleFerret OtterCookie February 2025Sentinel One Contagious Interview ClickFix September 2025Socket HexEval BeaverTail Contagious Interview June 2025Zscaler ContagiousInterview BeaverTail InvisibleFerret November 2024 |
| GroupCURIUM | CURIUM has created dedicated email accounts for use with tools such as IMAPLoader. |
| GroupEXOTIC LILY | EXOTIC LILY has created e-mail accounts to spoof targeted organizations. |
| GroupHEXANE | HEXANE has established email accounts for use in domain registration including for ProtonMail addresses. |
| GroupIndrik Spider | Indrik Spider has created email accounts to communicate with their ransomware victims, to include providing payment and decryption details. |
| GroupKimsuky | Kimsuky has created email accounts for phishing operations. |
| Used by | Procedure example |
|---|---|
| CampaignFunnyDream | For FunnyDream, the threat actors likely established an identified email account to register a variety of domains that were used during the campaign. |
| CampaignOperation AkaiRyū | During Operation AkaiRyū, MirrorFace used free email providers such as Gmail for spearphishing. |
| CampaignOperation Dream Job | During Operation Dream Job, Lazarus Group created fake email accounts to correspond with fake LinkedIn personas; Lazarus Group also established email accounts to match those of the victim as part of their BEC attempt. |
| CampaignOperation Dust Storm | For Operation Dust Storm, the threat actors established email addresses to register domains for their operations. |
| CampaignOperation Honeybee | During Operation Honeybee, attackers created email addresses to register for a free account for a control server used for the implants. |
| CampaignOperation Wocao | For Operation Wocao, the threat actors registered email accounts to use during the campaign. |
| CampaignSalesforce Data Exfiltration | During Salesforce Data Exfiltration, threat actors registered emails shinycorp@tuta[.]com and shinygroup@tuta[.]com to send victims extortion demands. |
| CampaignSharePoint ToolShell Exploitation | During SharePoint ToolShell Exploitation, threat actors created Proton mail accounts for communication with organizations infected with ransomware. |
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