Applied Cybernetics Group
T1027 — Obfuscated Files or Information
- Technique
T1027- Tactics
- Stealth
- MISP citations
- 0
- KEV CVEs mapped
- 5
- Community rules
- 94
- thrunt rules
- 0
- Upstream
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1027
MITRE description
Adversaries may attempt to make an executable or file difficult to discover or analyze by encrypting, encoding, or otherwise obfuscating its contents on the system or in transit. This is common behavior that can be used across different platforms and the network to evade defenses. Payloads may be compressed, archived, or encrypted in order to avoid detection. These payloads may be used during Initial Access or later to mitigate detection. Sometimes a user's action may be required to open and [Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1140) for [User Execution](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204). The user may also be required to input a password to open a password protected compressed/encrypted file that was provided by the adversary.(Citation: Volexity PowerDuke November 2016) Adversaries may also use compressed or archived scripts, such as JavaScript. Portions of files can also be encoded to hide the plain-text strings that would otherwise help defenders with discovery.(Citation: Linux/Cdorked.A We Live Security Analysis) Payloads may also be split into separate, seemingly benign files that only reveal malicious functionality when reassembled.(Citation: Carbon Black Obfuscation Sept 2016) Adversaries may also abuse [Command Obfuscation](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1027/010) to obscure commands executed from payloads or directly via [Command and Scripting Interpreter](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059). Environment variables, aliases, characters, and other platform/language specific semantics can be used to evade signature based detections and application control mechanisms.(Citation: FireEye Obfuscation June 2017)(Citation: FireEye Revoke-Obfuscation July 2017)(Citation: PaloAlto EncodedCommand March 2017)
KEV CVEs mapped to this technique
Per MITRE CTID's hand-curated KEV→ATT&CK mappings — these are the actively-exploited vulnerabilities behind this technique's KEV signal.
Detection coverage
SigmaHQ community rules
- Turla Group Commands May 2020 (emerging-threats)
- Potential Emotet Activity (emerging-threats)
- Operation Wocao Activity (emerging-threats)
- Operation Wocao Activity - Security (emerging-threats)
- Potentially Suspicious Long Filename Pattern - Linux (threat-hunting)
- Potential CommandLine Obfuscation Using Unicode Characters (threat-hunting)
- Potential Suspicious Execution From GUID Like Folder Names (threat-hunting)
- Suspicious Filename with Embedded Base64 Commands (core)
- Decode Base64 Encoded Text (core)
- Decode Base64 Encoded Text -MacOs (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation CLIP+ Launcher - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation Obfuscated IEX Invocation - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation STDIN+ Launcher - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation VAR+ Launcher - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation COMPRESS OBFUSCATION - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation RUNDLL LAUNCHER - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation Via Stdin - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation Via Use Clip - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation Via Use MSHTA - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation Via Use Rundll32 - Security (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation VAR++ LAUNCHER OBFUSCATION - Security (core)
- Password Protected ZIP File Opened (Suspicious Filenames) (core)
- Password Protected ZIP File Opened (Email Attachment) (core)
- Password Protected ZIP File Opened (core)
- Invoke-Obfuscation CLIP+ Launcher - System (core)
Showing 25 of 94 community rules —
the full set is tagged attack.t1027 in
SigmaHQ.