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T0807 Command-Line Interface

Adversaries may utilize command-line interfaces (CLIs) to interact with systems and execute commands. CLIs provide a means of interacting with computer systems and are a common feature across many types of platforms and devices within control systems environments. 1 Adversaries may also use CLIs to install and run new software, including malicious tools that may be installed over the course of an operation.

CLIs are typically accessed locally, but can also be exposed via services, such as SSH, Telnet, and RDP. Commands that are executed in the CLI execute with the current permissions level of the process running the terminal emulator, unless the command specifies a change in permissions context. Many controllers have CLI interfaces for management purposes.

Item Value
ID T0807
Sub-techniques
Tactics TA0104
Platforms Control Server, Data Historian, Field Controller/RTU/PLC/IED, Human-Machine Interface, Input/Output Server
Version 1.1
Created 21 May 2020
Last Modified 09 March 2023

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
C0025 2016 Ukraine Electric Power Attack During the 2016 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, Sandworm Team supplied the name of the payload DLL to Industroyer via a command line parameter.5
S0604 Industroyer The name of the Industroyer payload DLL is supplied by the attackers via a command line parameter supplied in one of the main backdoors execute a shell command commands. 3
G0034 Sandworm Team Sandworm Team uses the MS-SQL server xp_cmdshell command, and PowerShell to execute commands. 4
S0603 Stuxnet Stuxnet will store and execute SQL code that will extract and execute Stuxnet from the saved CAB file using xp_cmdshell with the following command: set @s = master..xp _ cmdshell extrac32 /y +@t+ +@t+x; exec(@s); 2

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M0942 Disable or Remove Feature or Program Consider removing or restricting features that are unnecessary to an asset’s intended function within the control environment.
M0938 Execution Prevention Execution prevention may block malicious software from accessing protected resources through the command line interface.

Detection

ID Data Source Data Component
DS0015 Application Log Application Log Content
DS0017 Command Command Execution
DS0009 Process Process Creation

References

  1. Enterprise ATT&CK 2018, January 11 Command-Line Interface Retrieved. 2018/05/17  ↩

  2. Nicolas Falliere, Liam O Murchu, Eric Chien 2011, February W32.Stuxnet Dossier (Version 1.4) Retrieved. 2017/09/22  ↩

  3. Anton Cherepanov, ESET 2017, June 12 Win32/Industroyer: A new threat for industrial control systems Retrieved. 2017/09/15  ↩

  4. Dragos 2018, October 12 Anatomy of an Attack: Detecting and Defeating CRASHOVERRIDE Retrieved. 2019/10/14  ↩

  5. Anton Cherepanov. (2017, June 12). Win32/Industroyer: A new threat for industrial controls systems. Retrieved December 18, 2020. ↩