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Atomic Red Team

MITRE ATT&CK Framework

The MITRE ATT&CK framework is a globally accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations of cyberattacks. This framework is used by cybersecurity professionals to understand and categorize the behavior of cyber adversaries, helping them to identify and prepare defenses against various cyber threats.

Atomic Red Team

Atomic Red Team is a library of simple, automatable tests designed to execute on an organization’s network, mimicking the activities of advanced persistent threats (APTs) as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Each test within Atomic Red Team is linked to a specific technique in the ATT&CK framework, providing a practical method for security teams to test their defenses against a broad spectrum of attacks.

The project is open-source and maintained by Red Canary. SenseOn has made several contributions to improve the tests and resolve bugs found in the framework.

A heatmap of the capabilities of Atomic Red Team overlaid on the MITRE ATT&CK framework is shown below.

Atomic Red Team capability heatmap

The latest version of the coverage is available at: Atomic Red Team Coverage

Testing Requirements

To run these tests, you should have:

  • A system that can be reinstalled after the tests, as it installs additional drivers.
  • The SenseOn endpoint sensor installed.
  • Local admin rights.

Installation

Start PowerShell by searching for PowerShell, right-clicking, and selecting "Run as Administrator."

Run PowerShell with admin rights

Enable script execution on the system by running the following command:

powershell -exec bypass

PowerShell Exec Bypass command execution

Before downloading the Atomic Tests, ensure that the existing AV, including real-time scanning in Defender, is disabled, or the downloads of the atomics may be blocked.

Then run the following commands to install Atomic Red Team and download the tests.

IEX (IWR 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/invoke-atomicredteam/master/install-atomicredteam.ps1' -UseBasicParsing);
Install-AtomicRedTeam -getAtomics

You may need to press Enter twice, if prompted to install any PowerShell modules type Y and press enter

The installation will take several minutes to complete.

Atomic Red Team installation

For reference and to verify installation the Atomic tests are downloaded to the following location C:\AtomicRedTeam\atomics

Detail an attack

What an attack involves can be detailed with the command

Invoke-AtomicTest T1003 - ShowDetails

Execute an attack

Invoke-AtomicTest T1218.010
Atomic Red Team test execution

⚠ Running all tests: Please do not invoke all of the tests with the Invoke-AtomicTest All command as it will cause an exceptionally high volume of cases to be created on the platform as thousands of tests will be run in a short period of time.

Executing Tests for Specific Threat Actors

No security product can detect every single technique and many of the techniques below are suspicious events rather than a 'smoking gun' so may not generate a priority case on their own. Therefore its important that any tests you perform show activity across the kill chain from initial access, execution, lateral movement, command and control, etc. This will allow SenseOn to bring together a wide range of suspicious activity into a coherent case. To assist with this I have created some test scripts which take the activity of known groups and campaigns and we will run through others on the call. Any group or campaign of your choosing can be emulated.

Operation Dust Storm

Operation Dust Storm was a persistent cyber espionage campaign active from January 2010 to February 2016. It targeted multiple industries across Japan, South Korea, the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia, focusing on critical infrastructure sectors such as electricity generation, oil and natural gas, finance, transportation, and construction. The threat actors utilized various techniques, including spearphishing, exploitation of vulnerabilities, and the use of Android backdoors, to exfiltrate sensitive information and maintain access to compromised systems.

For more detailed information, you can visit: MITRE ATT&CK Campaign Operation Dust Storm

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Operation Wocao

Operation Wocao, active from December 2017 to December 2019, was a cyber espionage campaign attributed to suspected Chinese actors. It targeted a wide array of sectors globally, including government, aviation, finance, healthcare, and energy. The group used techniques such as exploiting JBoss vulnerabilities, employing custom web shells, leveraging PowerShell and VBScript, and exfiltrating data via HTTP and HTTPS protocols. They also utilized tools like WinRAR for archiving data and various methods for credential theft and lateral movement.

For more detailed information, you can visit: MITRE ATT&CK Campaign Wocao

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Solar Winds Compromise

The SolarWinds Compromise, discovered in December 2020, was a sophisticated supply chain attack conducted by APT29, a group linked to Russia's SVR. They injected malicious code into the SolarWinds Orion software, which was distributed through a routine update. The attack affected approximately 18,000 organizations, including government agencies and private sector companies across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The attackers used various methods, such as credential theft, API abuse, and spear-phishing, to gain access and exfiltrate data from compromised networks.

For more detailed information, you can visit: For more detailed information, you can visit: MITRE ATT&CK Campaign SolarWinds Compromise

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FIN8

FIN8, also known as Syssphinx, is a financially motivated cyber threat group active since at least January 2016. They have targeted sectors including hospitality, retail, entertainment, insurance, technology, chemical, and financial industries. FIN8 is known for using sophisticated tactics such as spearphishing with malicious attachments, PowerShell for lateral movement, and deploying ransomware variants like Ragnar Locker and White Rabbit. Their campaigns have involved exfiltration of data, privilege escalation, and using tools like Impacket for various stages of their attacks.

For more detailed information, you can visit: MITRE ATT&CK Group FIN8 

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WIRTE

WIRTE is a cyber espionage group active since at least August 2018, targeting government, diplomatic, financial, military, legal, and technology organizations in the Middle East and Europe. Their techniques include spearphishing with malicious attachments, using PowerShell and VBScript for script execution, employing masquerading tactics, and leveraging non-standard ports for command and control communication. WIRTE's campaigns often involve the use of tools such as Empire for post-exploitation activities.

For more detailed information, you can visit: MITRE ATT&CK Group WIRTE 

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APT19

APT19, also known as Codoso, C0d0so0, Codoso Team, and Sunshop Group, is a Chinese cyber espionage group. They have targeted a wide range of industries, including defense, finance, energy, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, high-tech, education, manufacturing, and legal services. Notably, in 2017, APT19 conducted a phishing campaign against seven law and investment firms. Their methods include spearphishing with malicious attachments, exploiting vulnerabilities, and employing advanced malware for command and control, persistence, and data exfiltration.

For more detailed information, you can visit: MITRE ATT&CK Group APT19

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