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Obtain Capabilities: Code Signing Certificates
Other sub-techniques of Obtain Capabilities (6)
ID | Name |
---|---|
T1588.001 | Malware |
T1588.002 | Tool |
T1588.003 | Code Signing Certificates |
T1588.004 | Digital Certificates |
T1588.005 | Exploits |
T1588.006 | Vulnerabilities |
Before compromising a victim, adversaries may buy and/or steal code signing certificates that can be used during targeting. Code signing is the process of digitally signing executables and scripts to confirm the software author and guarantee that the code has not been altered or corrupted. Code signing provides a level of authenticity for a program from the developer and a guarantee that the program has not been tampered with.[1] Users and/or security tools may trust a signed piece of code more than an unsigned piece of code even if they don't know who issued the certificate or who the author is.
Prior to Code Signing, adversaries may purchase or steal code signing certificates for use in operations. The purchase of code signing certificates may be done using a front organization or using information stolen from a previously compromised entity that allows the adversary to validate to a certificate provider as that entity. Adversaries may also steal code signing materials directly from a compromised third-party.
Procedure Examples
Name | Description |
---|---|
Wizard Spider |
Wizard Spider obtained a code signing certificate signed by Digicert for some of its malware.[2] |
Mitigations
Mitigation | Description |
---|---|
Pre-compromise |
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. |
Detection
Much of this activity will take place outside the visibility of the target organization, making detection of this behavior difficult. Detection efforts may be focused on related follow-on behavior, such as Code Signing or Install Root Certificate.