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T1595.001 Scanning IP Blocks

Adversaries may scan victim IP blocks to gather information that can be used during targeting. Public IP addresses may be allocated to organizations by block, or a range of sequential addresses.

Adversaries may scan IP blocks in order to Gather Victim Network Information, such as which IP addresses are actively in use as well as more detailed information about hosts assigned these addresses. Scans may range from simple pings (ICMP requests and responses) to more nuanced scans that may reveal host software/versions via server banners or other network artifacts.1 Information from these scans may reveal opportunities for other forms of reconnaissance (ex: Search Open Websites/Domains or Search Open Technical Databases), establishing operational resources (ex: Develop Capabilities or Obtain Capabilities), and/or initial access (ex: External Remote Services).

Item Value
ID T1595.001
Sub-techniques T1595.001, T1595.002, T1595.003
Tactics TA0043
Platforms PRE
Version 1.1
Created 02 October 2020
Last Modified 24 October 2025

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
G1003 Ember Bear Ember Bear has targeted IP ranges for vulnerability scanning related to government and critical infrastructure organizations.2
G0139 TeamTNT TeamTNT has scanned specific lists of target IP addresses.3

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1056 Pre-compromise This technique cannot be easily mitigated with preventive controls since it is based on behaviors performed outside of the scope of enterprise defenses and controls. Efforts should focus on minimizing the amount and sensitivity of data available to external parties.

References

  1. Dainotti, A. et al. (2012). Analysis of a “/0” Stealth Scan from a Botnet. Retrieved October 20, 2020. ↩

  2. US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency et al. (2024, September 5). Russian Military Cyber Actors Target U.S. and Global Critical Infrastructure. Retrieved September 6, 2024. ↩

  3. Fiser, D. Oliveira, A. (n.d.). Tracking the Activities of TeamTNT A Closer Look at a Cloud-Focused Malicious Actor Group. Retrieved September 22, 2021. ↩