Description
Adversaries may create and cultivate accounts with services that can be used during targeting. Adversaries can create accounts that can be used to build a persona to further operations. Persona development consists of the development of public information, presence, history and appropriate affiliations. This development could be applied to social media, website, or other publicly available information that could be referenced and scrutinized for legitimacy over the course of an operation using that persona or identity.(Citation: NEWSCASTER2014)(Citation: BlackHatRobinSage)
For operations incorporating social engineering, the utilization of an online persona may be important. These personas may be fictitious or impersonate real people. The persona may exist on a single site or across multiple sites (ex: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google, GitHub, Docker Hub, etc.). Establishing a persona may require development of additional documentation to make them seem real. This could include filling out profile information, developing social networks, or incorporating photos.(Citation: NEWSCASTER2014)(Citation: BlackHatRobinSage)
Establishing accounts can also include the creation of accounts with email providers, which may be directly leveraged for Phishing for Information or Phishing.(Citation: Mandiant APT1) In addition, establishing accounts may allow adversaries to abuse free services, such as registering for trial periods to Acquire Infrastructure for malicious purposes.(Citation: Free Trial PurpleUrchin)
Platforms
Sub-Techniques (3)
Mitigations (1)
Pre-compromiseM1056
This technique cannot be easily mitigated with preventive controls since it is based on behaviors performed outside of the scope of enterprise defenses and controls.
Threat Groups (5)
| ID | Group | Context |
|---|---|---|
| G1052 | Contagious Interview | [Contagious Interview](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1052) has created and maintained personas on code repositories to distribute malicious payload... |
| G0117 | Fox Kitten | [Fox Kitten](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0117) has created KeyBase accounts to communicate with ransomware victims.(Citation: ClearSky Pay2Kitten... |
| G0094 | Kimsuky | [Kimsuky](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0094) has leveraged stolen PII to create accounts.(Citation: Mandiant APT43 March 2024) |
| G1003 | Ember Bear | [Ember Bear](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1003) has created accounts on dark web forums to obtain various tools and malware.(Citation: CISA GRU291... |
| G0025 | APT17 | [APT17](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0025) has created and cultivated profile pages in Microsoft TechNet. To make profile pages appear more legiti... |
References
- Gamazo, William. Quist, Nathaniel.. (2023, January 5). PurpleUrchin Bypasses CAPTCHA and Steals Cloud Platform Resources. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- Lennon, M. (2014, May 29). Iranian Hackers Targeted US Officials in Elaborate Social Media Attack Operation. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- Mandiant. (n.d.). APT1 Exposing One of China’s Cyber Espionage Units. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
- Ryan, T. (2010). “Getting In Bed with Robin Sage.”. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is T1585 (Establish Accounts)?
T1585 is a MITRE ATT&CK technique named 'Establish Accounts'. It belongs to the Resource Development tactic(s). Adversaries may create and cultivate accounts with services that can be used during targeting. Adversaries can create accounts that can be used to build a persona to further operations. Persona develo...
How can T1585 be detected?
Detection of T1585 (Establish Accounts) 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 T1585?
There are 1 documented mitigations for T1585. Key mitigations include: Pre-compromise.
Which threat groups use T1585?
Known threat groups using T1585 include: Contagious Interview, Fox Kitten, Kimsuky, Ember Bear, APT17.