Use Alternate Authentication Material
Description
Adversaries may use alternate authentication material, such as password hashes, Kerberos tickets, and application access tokens, in order to move laterally within an environment and bypass normal system access controls. Authentication processes generally require a valid identity (e.g., username) along with one or more authentication factors (e.g., password, pin, physical smart card, token generator, etc.). Alternate authentication material is legitimately generated by systems after a user or application successfully authenticates by providing a valid identity and the required authentication factor(s). Alternate authentication material may also be generated during the identity creation process.(Citation: NIST Authentication)(Citation: NIST MFA) Caching alternate authentication material allows the system to verify an identity has successfully authenticated without asking the user to reenter authentication factor(s). Because the alternate authentication must be maintained by the system—either in memory or on disk—it may be at risk of being stolen through [Credential Access](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0006) techniques. By stealing alternate authentication material, adversaries are able to bypass system access controls and authenticate to systems without knowing the plaintext password or any additional authentication factors.
Mapped SPARTA techniques
1 techniques
T1550 'Use Alternate Authentication Material' is in lateral-movement tactic and addresses use of stolen/captured authentication material to traverse systems; SPARTA LM-0007 'Credentialed Traversal' is the same activity for spacecraft (use captured TC keys, ground-system creds, or relay-station credentials to move between subsystems/sites). Tactic and activity align directly.
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 12 in MITRE D3FEND (Defensive Techniques)
- D3-ABPIApplication-based Process Isolation
- D3-HBPIHardware-based Process Isolation
- D3-HRHost Reboot
- D3-HSHost Shutdown
- D3-KBPIKernel-based Process Isolation
- D3-PLAProcess Lineage Analysis
- D3-PSProcess Suspension
- D3-PSAProcess Spawn Analysis
- D3-PSMDProcess Self-Modification Detection
- D3-PTProcess Termination
- D3-SCFSystem Call Filtering
- D3-WSAMWeb Session Access Mediation
Cite as SafeMode Space, mitre-attack-enterprise T1550.