Description
Adversaries can steal application access tokens as a means of acquiring credentials to access remote systems and resources.
Application access tokens are used to make authorized API requests on behalf of a user or service and are commonly used as a way to access resources in cloud and container-based applications and software-as-a-service (SaaS).(Citation: Auth0 - Why You Should Always Use Access Tokens to Secure APIs Sept 2019) Adversaries who steal account API tokens in cloud and containerized environments may be able to access data and perform actions with the permissions of these accounts, which can lead to privilege escalation and further compromise of the environment.
For example, in Kubernetes environments, processes running inside a container may communicate with the Kubernetes API server using service account tokens. If a container is compromised, an adversary may be able to steal the container’s token and thereby gain access to Kubernetes API commands.(Citation: Kubernetes Service Accounts)
Similarly, instances within continuous-development / continuous-integration (CI/CD) pipelines will often use API tokens to authenticate to other services for testing and deployment.(Citation: Cider Security Top 10 CICD Security Risks) If these pipelines are compromised, adversaries may be able to steal these tokens and leverage their privileges.
In Azure, an adversary who compromises a resource with an attached Managed Identity, such as an Azure VM, can request short-lived tokens through the Azure Instance Metadata Service (IMDS). These tokens can then facilitate unauthorized actions or further access to other Azure services, bypassing typical credential-based authentication.(Citation: Entra Managed Identities 2025)(Citation: SpecterOps Managed Identity 2022)
Token theft can also occur through social engineering, in which case user action may be required to grant access. OAuth is one commonly implemented framework that issues tokens to users for access to systems. An application desiring access to cloud-based services or protected APIs can gain entry using OAuth 2.0 through a variety of authorization protocols. An example commonly-used sequence is Microsoft's Authorization Code Grant flow.(Citation: Microsoft Identity Platform Protocols May 2019)(Citation: Microsoft - OAuth Code Authorization flow - June 2019) An OAuth access token enables a third-party application to interact with resources containing user data in the ways requested by the application without obtaining user credentials. Adversaries can leverage OAuth authorization by constructing a malicious application designed to be granted access to resources with the target user's OAuth token.(Citation: Amnesty OAuth Phishing Attacks, August 2019)(Citation: Trend Micro Pawn Storm OAuth 2017) The adversary will need to complete registration of their application with the authorization server, for example Microsoft Identity Platform using Azure Portal, the Visual Studio IDE, the command-line interface, PowerShell, or REST API calls.(Citation: Microsoft - Azure AD App Registration - May 2019) Then, they can send a Spearphishing Link to the target user to entice them to grant access to the application. Once the OAuth access token is granted, the application can gain potentially long-term access to features of the user account through Application Access Token.(Citation: Microsoft - Azure AD Identity Tokens - Aug 2019)
Application access tokens may function within a limited lifetime, limiting how long an adversary can utilize the stolen token. However, in some cases, adversaries can also steal application refresh tokens(Citation: Auth0 Understanding Refresh Tokens), allowing them to obtain new access tokens without prompting the user.
Platforms
Mitigations (4)
Restrict Web-Based ContentM1021
Administrators can block end-user consent to OAuth applications, disabling users from authorizing third-party apps through OAuth 2.0 and forcing administrative consent for all requests. They can also block end-user registration of applications by their users, to reduce risk. A Cloud Access Security Broker can also be used to ban applications.
Azure offers a couple of enterprise policy settings in
AuditM1047
Administrators should audit all cloud and container accounts to ensure that they are necessary and that the permissions granted to them are appropriate. Additionally, administrators should perform an audit of all OAuth applications and the permissions they have been granted to access organizational data. This should be done extensively on all applications in order to establish a baseline, followe
User TrainingM1017
Users need to be trained to not authorize third-party applications they don’t recognize. The user should pay particular attention to the redirect URL: if the URL is a misspelled or convoluted sequence of words related to an expected service or SaaS application, the website is likely trying to spoof a legitimate service. Users should also be cautious about the permissions they are granting to apps.
User Account ManagementM1018
Enforce role-based access control to limit accounts to the least privileges they require. A Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) can be used to set usage policies and manage user permissions on cloud applications to prevent access to application access tokens. In Kubernetes applications, set “automountServiceAccountToken: false” in the YAML specification of pods that do not require access to servic
Threat Groups (2)
| ID | Group | Context |
|---|---|---|
| G0016 | APT29 | [APT29](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0016) uses stolen tokens to access victim accounts, without needing a password.(Citation: NCSC et al APT29 20... |
| G0007 | APT28 | [APT28](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0007) has used several malicious applications to steal user OAuth access tokens including applications masque... |
Associated Software (4)
| ID | Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| S9008 | Shai-Hulud | Malware | [Shai-Hulud](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S9008) has stolen access tokens and API tokens from with CI/CD pipeline solutions and repositories.(Cit... |
| S9009 | TruffleHog | Tool | [TruffleHog](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S9009) has gathered access tokens and API tokens from CI/CD pipeline solutions and repositories.(Citati... |
| S0683 | Peirates | Tool | [Peirates](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0683) gathers Kubernetes service account tokens using a variety of techniques.(Citation: Peirates GitHub... |
| S0677 | AADInternals | Tool | [AADInternals](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0677) can steal users’ access tokens via phishing emails containing malicious links.(Citation: AADIn... |
References
- Amnesty International. (2019, August 16). Evolving Phishing Attacks Targeting Journalists and Human Rights Defenders from the Middle-East and North Africa. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- Andy Robbins. (2022, June 6). Managed Identity Attack Paths, Part 1: Automation Accounts. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- Auth0 Inc.. (n.d.). Understanding Refresh Tokens. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- Auth0. (n.d.). Why You Should Always Use Access Tokens to Secure APIs. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Daniel Krivelevich and Omer Gil. (n.d.). Top 10 CI/CD Security Risks. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- Hacquebord, F.. (2017, April 25). Pawn Storm Abuses Open Authentication in Advanced Social Engineering Attacks. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
- Kubernetes. (2022, February 26). Configure Service Accounts for Pods. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
- Microsoft Entra. (2025, February 27). How to use managed identities for Azure resources on an Azure VM to acquire an access token. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- Microsoft. (2019, August 29). Microsoft identity platform access tokens. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- Microsoft. (2019, May 8). Quickstart: Register an application with the Microsoft identity platform. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is T1528 (Steal Application Access Token)?
T1528 is a MITRE ATT&CK technique named 'Steal Application Access Token'. It belongs to the Credential Access tactic(s). Adversaries can steal application access tokens as a means of acquiring credentials to access remote systems and resources. Application access tokens are used to make authorized API requests on behal...
How can T1528 be detected?
Detection of T1528 (Steal Application Access Token) typically involves monitoring system logs, network traffic, and endpoint telemetry. Use SIEM rules, EDR solutions, and behavioral analytics to identify suspicious activity associated with this technique.
What mitigations exist for T1528?
There are 4 documented mitigations for T1528. Key mitigations include: Restrict Web-Based Content, Audit, User Training, User Account Management.
Which threat groups use T1528?
Known threat groups using T1528 include: APT29, APT28.