COMMON ATTACK PATTERN ENUMERATION AND CLASSIFICATIONLive MITRE record

CAPEC-522

Malicious Hardware Component Replacement

An adversary replaces legitimate hardware in the system with faulty counterfeit or tampered hardware in the supply chain distribution channel, with purpose of causing malicious disruption or allowing for additional compromise when the system is deployed.

Abstraction

Standard

Typical severity

High

Likelihood of attack

Low

Understand the attack

What is this attack pattern?

An adversary replaces legitimate hardware in the system with faulty counterfeit or tampered hardware in the supply chain distribution channel, with purpose of causing malicious disruption or allowing for additional compromise when the system is deployed.

Execution flow

How does the attack proceed, step by step?

1

Explore

Determine Target Hardware

The adversary must first identify a system that they wish to target, and a specific hardware component that they can swap out with a malicious replacement.

Techniques used

  • Look for datasheets containing the system schematics that can help identify possible target hardware.
  • Procure a system and inspect it manually, looking for possible hardware component targets. Search for manufacturer IDs on hardware chips or FCC IDs on wireless chips to determine their functionality.

Discover Vulnerability in Supply Chain

The adversary maps out the supply chain for the targeted system. They look for ooportunities to gain physical access to the system after it has left the manufacturer, but before it is deployed to the victim.

Techniques used

  • Procure a system and observe the steps it takes in the shipment process.
  • Identify possible warehouses that systems are stored after manufacturing.
2

Experiment

Test a Malicious Component Replacement

Before performing the attack in the wild, an adversary will test the attack on a system they have procured to ensure that the desired outcome will be achieved.

Techniques used

  • Design a malicious hardware component that will perform the same functionality as the target component, but also contains additional functionality.
  • Obtain already designed malicious components that just need to be placed into the system.
3

Exploit

Substitute Components in the Supply Chain

Using the vulnerability in the supply chain of the system discovered in the explore phase, the adversary substitutes the malicious component for the targeted component. This results in the adversary gaining unintended access to systems once they reach the victim and can lead to a variety of follow up attacks.

Requirements

What does the attack require?

Prerequisites

  • Physical access to the system after it has left the manufacturer but before it is deployed at the victim location.

Skills required

  • High: Advanced knowledge of the design of the system.
  • High: Hardware creation and manufacture of replacement components.

Resources required

Not stated in the MITRE record.

Defence

How is it prevented and mitigated?

1
Ensure that all contractors and sub-suppliers use trusted means of shipping (e.g., bonded/cleared/vetted and insured couriers) to ensure that components, once purchased, are not subject to compromise during their delivery.
2
Prevent or detect tampering with critical hardware or firmware components while in transit through use of state-of-the-art anti-tamper devices.
3
Use tamper-resistant and tamper-evident packaging when shipping critical components (e.g., plastic coating for circuit boards, tamper tape, paint, sensors, and/or seals for cases and containers) and inspect received system components for evidence of tampering.

Real world

MITRE example instances

Example instance 1Detail
During shipment the adversary is able to intercept a system that has been purchased by the victim, and replaces a math processor card that functions just like the original, but contains advanced malicious capability. Once deployed, the system functions as normal, but allows for the adversary to remotely communicate with the system and use it as a conduit for additional compromise within the victim's environment.
CAPEC-522: Malicious Hardware Component Replacement — DayBreach Saldırı Sözlüğü · DayBreach