MITRE ATT&CKsub-technique

T1027.006 HTML Smuggling

Published 2021-05-20 Modified 2026-05-12 Official page ↗
Domain
enterprise
Tactics
Stealth
Platforms
Linux, macOS, Windows
Version
2.0
Created
2021-05-20

Description

Adversaries may smuggle data and files past content filters by hiding malicious payloads inside of seemingly benign HTML files. HTML documents can store large binary objects known as JavaScript Blobs (immutable data that represents raw bytes) that can later be constructed into file-like objects. Data may also be stored in Data URLs, which enable embedding media type or MIME files inline of HTML documents. HTML5 also introduced a download attribute that may be used to initiate file downloads. Adversaries may deliver payloads to victims that bypass security controls through HTML Smuggling by abusing JavaScript Blobs and/or HTML5 download attributes. Security controls such as web content filters may not identify smuggled malicious files inside of HTML/JS files, as the content may be based on typically benign MIME types such as text/plain and/or text/html. Malicious files or data can be obfuscated and hidden inside of HTML files through Data URLs and/or JavaScript Blobs and can be deobfuscated when they reach the victim (i.e. Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information), potentially bypassing content filters. For example, JavaScript Blobs can be abused to dynamically generate malicious files in the victim machine and may be dropped to disk by abusing JavaScript functions such as msSaveBlob.

Related

Subtechnique of · MITRE ATT&CK (1)

  • T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information technique

Tactic · MITRE ATT&CK (1)

Referenced by MITRE ATT&CK · mitigates (1)

  • M1048 Application Isolation and Sandboxing mitigation

Referenced by MITRE ATT&CK · uses (3)

  • S0650 QakBot software (malware)
  • S0634 EnvyScout software (malware)
  • G0016 APT29 group

Referenced by CAPEC · att&ck technique (1)

  • CAPEC-35 Leverage Executable Code in Non-Executable Files attack pattern

Referenced by Compliance · mitigates (2)

  • CIS-9.6 Block Unnecessary File Types CIS Safeguard v8.1
  • CIS-9.7 Deploy and Maintain Email Server Anti-Malware Protections CIS Safeguard v8.1

References