T1059

ESXi IaaS Identity Provider Linux macOS Network Devices Office Suite Windows

Command and Scripting Interpreter

Description

Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries. These interfaces and languages provide ways of interacting with computer systems and are a common feature across many different platforms.

Most systems come with some built-in command-line interface and scripting capabilities, for example, macOS and Linux distributions include some flavor of Unix Shell while Windows installations include the Windows Command Shell and PowerShell. There are also cross-platform interpreters such as Python, as well as those commonly associated with client applications such as JavaScript and Visual Basic.

Adversaries may abuse these technologies in various ways as a means of executing arbitrary commands. Commands and scripts can be embedded in Initial Access payloads delivered to victims as lure documents or as secondary payloads downloaded from an existing C2.

Adversaries may also execute commands through interactive terminals/shells, as well as utilize various Remote Services in order to achieve remote Execution.

Sub-techniques

T1059.001 — PowerShell T1059.002 — AppleScript T1059.003 — Windows Command Shell T1059.004 — Unix Shell T1059.005 — Visual Basic T1059.006 — Python T1059.007 — JavaScript T1059.008 — Network Device CLI T1059.009 — Cloud API T1059.010 — AutoHotKey & AutoIT T1059.011 — Lua T1059.012 — Hypervisor CLI T1059.013 — Container CLI/API