COMMON ATTACK PATTERN ENUMERATION AND CLASSIFICATIONLive MITRE record

CAPEC-552

Install Rootkit

An adversary exploits a weakness in authentication to install malware that alters the functionality and information provide by targeted operating system API calls. Often referred to as rootkits, it is often used to hide the presence of programs, files, network connections, services, drivers, and other system components.

Abstraction

Detailed

Typical severity

High

Likelihood of attack

Medium

Understand the attack

What is this attack pattern?

An adversary exploits a weakness in authentication to install malware that alters the functionality and information provide by targeted operating system API calls. Often referred to as rootkits, it is often used to hide the presence of programs, files, network connections, services, drivers, and other system components.

Requirements

What does the attack require?

Prerequisites

  • Target application or infrastructure exposes an exploitable vulnerability surface.

Skills required

Not stated in the MITRE record.

Resources required

Not stated in the MITRE record.

Defence

How is it prevented and mitigated?

1
Prevent adversary access to privileged accounts necessary to install rootkits.

Real world

MITRE example instances

Example instance 1Detail
A rootkit may take the form of a hypervisor. A hypervisor is a software layer that sits between the operating system and the processor. It presents a virtual running environment to the operating system. An example of a common hypervisor is Xen. Because a hypervisor operates at a level below the operating system it can hide its existence from the operating system.
Example instance 2Detail
Similar to a rootkit, a bootkit is a malware variant that modifies the boot sectors of a hard drive, including the Master Boot Record (MBR) and Volume Boot Record (VBR). Adversaries may use bootkits to persist on systems at a layer below the operating system, which may make it difficult to perform full remediation unless an organization suspects one was used and can act accordingly.
CAPEC-552: Install Rootkit — DayBreach Saldırı Sözlüğü · DayBreach