MITRE ATT&CKsub-technique

T1574.014 AppDomainManager

Published 2024-03-28 Modified 2026-05-12 Official page ↗
Domain
enterprise
Tactics
Stealth, Execution
Platforms
Windows
Version
2.0
Created
2024-03-28

Description

Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking how the .NET `AppDomainManager` loads assemblies. The .NET framework uses the `AppDomainManager` class to create and manage one or more isolated runtime environments (called application domains) inside a process to host the execution of .NET applications. Assemblies (`.exe` or `.dll` binaries compiled to run as .NET code) may be loaded into an application domain as executable code. Known as "AppDomainManager injection," adversaries may execute arbitrary code by hijacking how .NET applications load assemblies. For example, malware may create a custom application domain inside a target process to load and execute an arbitrary assembly. Alternatively, configuration files (`.config`) or process environment variables that define .NET runtime settings may be tampered with to instruct otherwise benign .NET applications to load a malicious assembly (identified by name) into the target process.

Related

Subtechnique of · MITRE ATT&CK (1)

  • T1574 Hijack Execution Flow technique

Tactic · MITRE ATT&CK (2)

Referenced by MITRE ATT&CK · mitigates (1)

  • M1022 Restrict File and Directory Permissions mitigation

Referenced by MITRE ATT&CK · uses (2)

  • G1059 NIMBUS MANTICORE group
  • S1152 IMAPLoader software (malware)

Referenced by Compliance · mitigates (10)

  • NIST-AC-3 Access Enforcement NIST 800-53 control
  • NIST-AC-6 Least Privilege NIST 800-53 control
  • NIST-CA-7 Continuous Monitoring NIST 800-53 control
  • NIST-CM-5 Access Restrictions for Change NIST 800-53 control
  • NIST-CM-6 Configuration Settings NIST 800-53 control
  • NIST-CM-7 Least Functionality NIST 800-53 control
  • NIST-SI-10 Information Input Validation 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