Applied Cybernetics Group
T1102.002 Bidirectional Communication
- Technique
T1102.002- Tactics
- Command and Control
- Research, 90 days
- 1
- KEV CVEs mapped
- 0
- SigmaHQ rules
- 4
- Elastic, Splunk
- 14
- thrunt rules
- 0
- Upstream
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1102/002
MITRE description
Adversaries may use an existing, legitimate external Web service as a means for sending commands to and receiving output from a compromised system over the Web service channel. Compromised systems may leverage popular websites and social media to host command and control (C2) instructions. Those infected systems can then send the output from those commands back over that Web service channel. The return traffic may occur in a variety of ways, depending on the Web service being utilized. For example, the return traffic may take the form of the compromised system posting a comment on a forum, issuing a pull request to development project, updating a document hosted on a Web service, or by sending a Tweet. Popular websites and social media acting as a mechanism for C2 may give a significant amount of cover due to the likelihood that hosts within a network are already communicating with them prior to a compromise. Using common services, such as those offered by Google or Twitter, makes it easier for adversaries to hide in expected noise. Web service providers commonly use SSL/TLS encryption, giving adversaries an added level of protection.
Research citing this technique
Reports and advisories from the last 90 days that cite this technique.
-
2026-10-30Darktrace: CikaBika Bot: Inside a Discord RAT Campaign
Detection coverage
SigmaHQ community rules
- Potentially Suspicious Azure Front Door Connection (threat-hunting)
- Telegram Bot API Request (core)
- Telegram API Access (core)
- Github Self-Hosted Runner Execution (core)
Elastic and Splunk rules
- Connection to Common Large Language Model Endpoints (elastic)
- Statistical Model Detected C2 Beaconing Activity (elastic)
- Statistical Model Detected C2 Beaconing Activity with High Confidence (elastic)
- AWS CLI Command with Custom Endpoint URL (elastic)
- Unusual DNS Request to Suspicious Top Level Domain (elastic)
- Linux Telegram API Request (elastic)
- Potential EtherHiding C2 via Curl JSON-RPC Request (elastic)
- Google Calendar C2 via Script Interpreter (elastic)
- Potential Etherhiding C2 via Blockchain Connection (elastic)
- Suspicious Curl to Google App Script Endpoint (elastic)
- Connection to Commonly Abused Web Services (elastic)
- DNS to Commonly Abused Web Services (elastic)
- Potential Telegram API Request Via CommandLine (splunk)
- Windows DNS Query Request by Telegram Bot API (splunk)