Token Impersonation/Theft
Parent: T1134
Description
Adversaries may duplicate then impersonate another user's existing token to escalate privileges and bypass access controls. For example, an adversary can duplicate an existing token using `DuplicateToken` or `DuplicateTokenEx`.(Citation: DuplicateToken function) The token can then be used with `ImpersonateLoggedOnUser` to allow the calling thread to impersonate a logged on user's security context, or with `SetThreadToken` to assign the impersonated token to a thread. An adversary may perform [Token Impersonation/Theft](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/001) when they have a specific, existing process they want to assign the duplicated token to. For example, this may be useful for when the target user has a non-network logon session on the system. When an adversary would instead use a duplicated token to create a new process rather than attaching to an existing process, they can additionally [Create Process with Token](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/002) using `CreateProcessWithTokenW` or `CreateProcessAsUserW`. [Token Impersonation/Theft](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/001) is also distinct from [Make and Impersonate Token](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/003) in that it refers to duplicating an existing token, rather than creating a new one.
Mapped SPARTA techniques
No techniques mapped to this control.
Cross-framework references
Relationships published by the source frameworks themselves, reproduced here with attribution. They are not SafeMode Space mappings and carry no confidence rating of ours.
Countered by 11 in MITRE D3FEND (Defensive Techniques)
- D3-ANCIAuthentication Cache Invalidation
- D3-CCSACredential Compromise Scope Analysis
- D3-CHCredential Hardening
- D3-CRCredential Revocation
- D3-CROCredential Rotation
- D3-CTSCredential Transmission Scoping
- D3-DUCDecoy User Credential
- D3-MFAMulti-factor Authentication
- D3-RICReissue Credential
- D3-TBToken Binding
- D3-TBAToken-based Authentication
Cite as SafeMode Space, mitre-attack-enterprise T1134.001.