T1495
Firmware Corruption
Linux · macOS · Network Devices · Windowsnothing on this site yetT1495 on attack.mitre.org
Adversaries may overwrite or corrupt the flash memory contents of system BIOS or other firmware in devices attached to a system in order to render them inoperable or unable to boot, thus denying the availability to use the devices and/or the system. Firmware is software that is loaded and executed from non-volatile memory on hardware devices in order to initialize and manage device functionality.
If this is happening now
Checklists and playbooks to open while the alert is still live.
Playbook for this stage
Ransomware, suspected or confirmed
Files renamed or unreadable, a ransom note, or backup deletion commands seen.
how MITRE says to see it
Firmware Modification via Flash Tool or Corrupted Firmware Upload
- Firmware flash utility invoked with elevated privileges followed by raw access to firmware device path or changes to boot configuration.
- Direct write access to /dev/mem or /sys/firmware combined with usage of firmware flashing utilities (e.g., flashrom).
- EFI updates executed via system processes or binaries outside of expected patch windows or using unsigned firmware packages.
- Firmware image uploaded via TFTP/SCP or web interface followed by reboot or unexpected loss of connectivity.
what reduces it
- M1046 Boot Integrity. Check the integrity of the existing BIOS and device firmware to determine if it is vulnerable to modification.
- M1026 Privileged Account Management. Prevent adversary access to privileged accounts or access necessary to replace system firmware.
- M1051 Update Software. Patch the BIOS and other firmware as necessary to prevent successful use of known vulnerabilities.