T1071.002sub-technique of T1071 Application Layer Protocol
File Transfer Protocols
ESXi · Linux · macOS · Network Devices · Windowsnothing on this site yetT1071.002 on attack.mitre.org
Adversaries may communicate using application layer protocols associated with transferring files to avoid detection/network filtering by blending in with existing traffic. Commands to the remote system, and often the results of those commands, will be embedded within the protocol traffic between the client and server. Protocols such as SMB, FTP, FTPS, and TFTP that transfer files may be very common in environments.
how MITRE says to see it
Detection of File Transfer Protocol-Based C2 (FTP, FTPS, SMB, TFTP)
- Detects FTP, SMB, or TFTP traffic initiated by suspicious processes like PowerShell, cmd.exe, or rundll32.exe, especially with large outbound file transfers or unbalanced traffic volume.
- Detects usage of FTP, SCP, or TFTP by non-interactive shells or automation scripts transferring large data volumes to untrusted IPs.
- Detects Automator, AppleScript, or Terminal executing curl, lftp, or TFTP for binary transfer to untrusted IPs or unusual ports.
- Detects file movement or outbound TFTP/FTP transfers from ESXi host initiated via shell commands or injected scripts, particularly from scratch partitions or /tmp.
what reduces it
- M1031 Network Intrusion Prevention. Network intrusion detection and prevention systems that use network signatures to identify traffic for specific adversary malware can be used to mitigate activity at the network level.
- M1037 Filter Network Traffic. Filter outbound FTP/SFTP traffic from sensitive systems, allowing file transfers only to trusted internal or known IP addresses. This measure can prevent attackers from transferring data or payloads via FTP/SFTP channels to or from unauthorized external systems.