MITRE ATT&CKsub-technique
T1070.007 Clear Network Connection History and Configurations
- Domain
- enterprise
- Tactics
- Stealth
- Platforms
- Linux, macOS, Windows, Network Devices
- Version
- 2.0
- Created
- 2022-06-15
Description
Adversaries may clear or remove evidence of malicious network connections in order to clean up traces of their operations. Configuration settings as well as various artifacts that highlight connection history may be created on a system and/or in application logs from behaviors that require network connections, such as Remote Services or External Remote Services. Defenders may use these artifacts to monitor or otherwise analyze network connections created by adversaries.
Network connection history may be stored in various locations. For example, RDP connection history may be stored in Windows Registry values under :
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client\Default
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client\Servers
Windows may also store information about recent RDP connections in files such as C:\Users\\%username%\Documents\Default.rdp and `C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Terminal
Server Client\Cache\`. Similarly, macOS and Linux hosts may store information highlighting connection history in system logs (such as those stored in `/Library/Logs` and/or `/var/log/`).
Malicious network connections may also require changes to third-party applications or network configuration settings, such as Disable or Modify System Firewall or tampering to enable Proxy. Adversaries may delete or modify this data to conceal indicators and/or impede defensive analysis.
Related
Subtechnique of · MITRE ATT&CK (1)
- T1070 Indicator Removal technique
Tactic · MITRE ATT&CK (1)
- TA0005 Stealth tactic
Referenced by MITRE ATT&CK · mitigates (2)
Referenced by MITRE ATT&CK · uses (7)
Referenced by Compliance · mitigates (11)
- CIS-3.4 Enforce Data Retention CIS Safeguard v8.1
- NIST-AC-2 Account Management NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-AC-3 Access Enforcement NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-AC-5 Separation of Duties NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-AC-6 Least Privilege NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-CA-7 Continuous Monitoring NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-CM-2 Baseline Configuration NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-CM-6 Configuration Settings NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-SI-3 Malicious Code Protection NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-SI-4 System Monitoring NIST 800-53 control
- NIST-SI-7 Software, Firmware, and Information Integrity NIST 800-53 control
References
- https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd-journald.service.html FreeDesktop Journal
- https://docs.microsoft.com/troubleshoot/windows-server/remote/remove-entries-from-remote-desktop-connection-computer Microsoft RDP Removal
- https://www.osdfcon.org/presentations/2020/Brian-Moran_Putting-Together-the-RDPieces.pdf Moran RDPieces
- https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3991574 Apple Culprit Access
- https://sarah-edwards-xzkc.squarespace.com/blog/2020/4/30/analysis-of-apple-unified-logs-quarantine-edition-entry-6-working-from-home-remote-logins Apple Unified Log Analysis Remote Login and Screen Sharing