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T1124 System Time Discovery

An adversary may gather the system time and/or time zone settings from a local or remote system. The system time is set and stored by services, such as the Windows Time Service on Windows or systemsetup on macOS.981 These time settings may also be synchronized between systems and services in an enterprise network, typically accomplished with a network time server within a domain.52

System time information may be gathered in a number of ways, such as with Net on Windows by performing net time \hostname to gather the system time on a remote system. The victim’s time zone may also be inferred from the current system time or gathered by using w32tm /tz.8 In addition, adversaries can discover device uptime through functions such as GetTickCount() to determine how long it has been since the system booted up.12

On network devices, Network Device CLI commands such as show clock detail can be used to see the current time configuration.4 On ESXi servers, esxcli system clock get can be used for the same purpose.

In addition, system calls – such as time() – have been used to collect the current time on Linux devices.3 On macOS systems, adversaries may use commands such as systemsetup -gettimezone or timeIntervalSinceNow to gather current time zone information or current date and time.116

This information could be useful for performing other techniques, such as executing a file with a Scheduled Task/Job10, or to discover locality information based on time zone to assist in victim targeting (i.e. System Location Discovery). Adversaries may also use knowledge of system time as part of a time bomb, or delaying execution until a specified date/time.7

Item Value
ID T1124
Sub-techniques
Tactics TA0007
Platforms ESXi, Linux, Network Devices, Windows, macOS
Version 1.5
Created 31 May 2017
Last Modified 24 October 2025

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S0331 Agent Tesla Agent Tesla can collect the timestamp from the victim’s machine.36
S0622 AppleSeed AppleSeed can pull a timestamp from the victim’s machine.97
S0373 Astaroth Astaroth collects the timestamp from the infected machine. 18
S1053 AvosLocker AvosLocker has checked the system time before and after encryption.98
S0344 Azorult Azorult can collect the time zone information from the system.7273
S1081 BADHATCH BADHATCH can obtain the DATETIME and UPTIME from a compromised machine.38
S0534 Bazar Bazar can collect the time on the compromised host.6061
S1246 BeaverTail BeaverTail has obtained and sent the current timestamp associated with the victim device to C2.63
S0574 BendyBear BendyBear has the ability to determine local time on a compromised host.82
S0017 BISCUIT BISCUIT has a command to collect the system UPTIME.65
S0268 Bisonal Bisonal can check the system time set on the infected host.96
S0657 BLUELIGHT BLUELIGHT can collect the local time on a compromised host.85
G0060 BRONZE BUTLER BRONZE BUTLER has used net time to check the local time on a target system.105
S0471 build_downer build_downer has the ability to determine the local time to ensure malware installation only happens during the hours that the infected system is active.54
C0015 C0015 During C0015, the threat actors used the command net view /all time to gather the local time of a compromised network.114
S0351 Cannon Cannon can collect the current time zone information from the victim’s machine.74
S0335 Carbon Carbon uses the command net time \127.0.0.1 to get information the system’s time.41
S1043 ccf32 ccf32 can determine the local time on targeted machines.37
G0114 Chimera Chimera has used time /t and net time \ip/hostname for system time discovery.108
S0660 Clambling Clambling can determine the current time.78
S0126 ComRAT ComRAT has checked the victim system’s date and time to perform tasks during business hours (9 to 5, Monday to Friday).81
S0608 Conficker Conficker uses the current UTC victim system date for domain generation and connects to time servers to determine the current date.3334
S0115 Crimson Crimson has the ability to determine the date and time on a compromised host.44
G1012 CURIUM CURIUM deployed mechanisms to check system time information following strategic website compromise attacks.106
S1111 DarkGate DarkGate creates a log file for capturing keylogging, clipboard, and related data using the victim host’s current date for the filename.75 DarkGate queries victim system epoch time during execution.75 DarkGate captures system time information as part of automated profiling on initial installation.76
G0012 Darkhotel Darkhotel malware can obtain system time from a compromised host.107
S0673 DarkWatchman DarkWatchman can collect time zone information and system UPTIME.49
S1033 DCSrv DCSrv can compare the current time on an infected host with a configuration value to determine when to start the encryption process.58
S1134 DEADWOOD DEADWOOD will set a timestamp value to determine when wiping functionality starts. When the timestamp is met on the system, a trigger file is created on the operating system allowing for execution to proceed. If the timestamp is in the past, the wiper will execute immediately.77
S0694 DRATzarus DRATzarus can use the GetTickCount and GetSystemTimeAsFileTime API calls to inspect system time.50
S1159 DUSTTRAP DUSTTRAP reads the infected system’s current time and writes it to a log file during execution.79
S0554 Egregor Egregor contains functionality to query the local/system time.42
S0091 Epic Epic uses the net time command to get the system time from the machine and collect the current date and time zone information.28
S0396 EvilBunny EvilBunny has used the API calls NtQuerySystemTime, GetSystemTimeAsFileTime, and GetTickCount to gather time metrics as part of its checks to see if the malware is running in a sandbox.23
S0267 FELIXROOT FELIXROOT gathers the time zone information from the victim’s machine.66
G0046 FIN7 FIN7 has used the PowerShell script 3CF9.ps1 to execute net time.109
S1044 FunnyDream FunnyDream can check system time to help determine when changes were made to specified files.37
S0588 GoldMax GoldMax can check the current date-time value of the compromised system, comparing it to the hardcoded execution trigger and can send the current timestamp to the C2 server.3132
S0531 Grandoreiro Grandoreiro can determine the time on the victim machine via IPinfo.48
S0237 GravityRAT GravityRAT can obtain the date and time of a system.35
S0690 Green Lambert Green Lambert can collect the date and time from a compromised host.9394
S0417 GRIFFON GRIFFON has used a reconnaissance module that can be used to retrieve the date and time of the system.39
G0126 Higaisa Higaisa used a function to gather the current time.103
S0376 HOPLIGHT HOPLIGHT has been observed collecting system time from victim machines.84
S0260 InvisiMole InvisiMole gathers the local system time from the victim’s machine.9091
S1051 KEYPLUG KEYPLUG can obtain the current tick count of an infected computer.25
G0032 Lazarus Group A Destover-like implant used by Lazarus Group can obtain the current system time and send it to the C2 server.88
S1244 Medusa Ransomware Medusa Ransomware has discovered device uptime through GetTickCount().86
S0455 Metamorfo Metamorfo uses JavaScript to get the system time.45
S0149 MoonWind MoonWind obtains the victim’s current time.64
S0039 Net The net time command can be used in Net to determine the local or remote system time.13
S1147 Nightdoor Nightdoor can identify the system local time information.68
S0353 NOKKI NOKKI can collect the current timestamp of the victim’s machine.47
S0439 Okrum Okrum can obtain the date and time of the compromised system.95
S0264 OopsIE OopsIE checks to see if the system is configured with “Daylight” time and checks for a specific region to be set for the timezone.89
C0012 Operation CuckooBees During Operation CuckooBees, the threat actors used the net time command as part of their advanced reconnaissance.112
C0014 Operation Wocao During Operation Wocao, threat actors used the time command to retrieve the current time of a compromised system.113
S1233 PAKLOG PAKLOG has collected a timestamp to log the precise time a key was pressed, formatted as %Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S.99
S0501 PipeMon PipeMon can send time zone information from a compromised host to C2.71
S0013 PlugX PlugX has identified system time through its GetSystemInfo command.43
S0139 PowerDuke PowerDuke has commands to get the time the machine was built, the time, and the time zone.59
S0238 Proxysvc As part of the data reconnaissance phase, Proxysvc grabs the system time to send back to the control server.88
S1228 PUBLOAD PUBLOAD has collected the machine’s tick count through the use of GetTickCount.87
S0650 QakBot QakBot can identify the system time on a targeted host.40
S1148 Raccoon Stealer Raccoon Stealer gathers victim machine timezone information.5655
S0148 RTM RTM can obtain the victim time zone.46
S0596 ShadowPad ShadowPad has collected the current date and time of the victim system.21
S0140 Shamoon Shamoon obtains the system time and will only activate if it is greater than a preset date.1516
S0450 SHARPSTATS SHARPSTATS has the ability to identify the current date and time on the compromised host.92
S1178 ShrinkLocker ShrinkLocker retrieves a system timestamp that is used in generating an encryption key.17
G0121 Sidewinder Sidewinder has used tools to obtain the current system time.101
S0692 SILENTTRINITY SILENTTRINITY can collect start time information from a compromised host.14
S0615 SombRAT SombRAT can execute getinfo to discover the current time on a compromised host.2627
S1227 StarProxy StarProxy has utilized the windows API call GetLocalTime() to retrieve a SystemTime structure to generate a seed value.62
S0380 StoneDrill StoneDrill can obtain the current date and time of the victim machine.51
S1034 StrifeWater StrifeWater can collect the time zone from the victim’s machine.67
S0603 Stuxnet Stuxnet collects the time and date of a system when it is infected.83
S0559 SUNBURST SUNBURST collected device UPTIME.5253
S1064 SVCReady SVCReady can collect time zone information.69
S0098 T9000 T9000 gathers and beacons the system time during installation.24
S0011 Taidoor Taidoor can use GetLocalTime and GetSystemTime to collect system time.22
S0586 TAINTEDSCRIBE TAINTEDSCRIBE can execute GetLocalTime for time discovery.80
S0467 TajMahal TajMahal has the ability to determine local time on a compromised host.57
G0089 The White Company The White Company has checked the current date on the victim system.111
S0678 Torisma Torisma can collect the current time on a victim machine.29
G0010 Turla Turla surveys a system upon check-in to discover the system time by using the net time command.28
G1048 UNC3886 UNC3886 has used installation scripts to collect the system time on targeted ESXi hosts.110
S0275 UPPERCUT UPPERCUT has the capability to obtain the time zone information and current timestamp of the victim’s machine.30
G1017 Volt Typhoon
Volt Typhoon has obtained the victim’s system timezone.102
S0466 WindTail WindTail has the ability to generate the current date and time.100
S0251 Zebrocy Zebrocy gathers the current time zone and date information from the system.1920
S0330 Zeus Panda Zeus Panda collects the current system time (UTC) and sends it back to the C2 server.70
G0128 ZIRCONIUM ZIRCONIUM has used a tool to capture the time on a compromised host in order to register it with C2.104

References


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