- Tactics
- stealth
- Platforms
- Linux, macOS, Windows
- Reference
- attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1564.012
Description
Adversaries may attempt to hide their file-based artifacts by writing them to specific folders or file names excluded from antivirus (AV) scanning and other defensive capabilities. AV and other file-based scanners often include exclusions to optimize performance as well as ease installation and legitimate use of applications. These exclusions may be contextual (e.g., scans are only initiated in response to specific triggering events/alerts), but are also often hardcoded strings referencing specific folders and/or files assumed to be trusted and legitimate.(Citation: Microsoft File Folder Exclusions)
Adversaries may abuse these exclusions to hide their file-based artifacts. For example, rather than tampering with tool settings to add a new exclusion (i.e., Disable or Modify Tools), adversaries may drop their file-based payloads in default or otherwise well-known exclusions. Adversaries may also use Security Software Discovery and other Discovery/Reconnaissance activities to both discover and verify existing exclusions in a victim environment.
How GTK Cyber trains on this
GTK Cyber's Threat Hunting with Data Science course teaches you to build machine-learning detections for techniques like this across the MITRE ATT&CK framework, including the stealth tactic this technique falls under. Practitioner-led, focused on real detections, not memorizing technique IDs.
Related techniques
- T1006 — Direct Volume Access
- T1014 — Rootkit
- T1027 — Obfuscated Files or Information
- T1036 — Masquerading
- T1055 — Process Injection
- T1070 — Indicator Removal
- T1078 — Valid Accounts
- T1127 — Trusted Developer Utilities Proxy Execution
- T1134 — Access Token Manipulation
- T1140 — Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information
- T1197 — BITS Jobs
- T1202 — Indirect Command Execution