Applied Cybernetics Group
T1197 BITS Jobs
- Technique
T1197- Tactics
- Defense Evasion, Persistence, Execution
- Research, 90 days
- 1
- KEV CVEs mapped
- 0
- SigmaHQ rules
- 16
- Elastic, Splunk
- 9
- thrunt rules
- 0
- Upstream
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1197
MITRE description
Adversaries may abuse BITS jobs to persistently execute code and perform various background tasks. Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a low-bandwidth, asynchronous file transfer mechanism exposed through [Component Object Model](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1559/001) (COM).(Citation: Microsoft COM)(Citation: Microsoft BITS) BITS is commonly used by updaters, messengers, and other applications preferred to operate in the background (using available idle bandwidth) without interrupting other networked applications. File transfer tasks are implemented as BITS jobs, which contain a queue of one or more file operations. The interface to create and manage BITS jobs is accessible through [PowerShell](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/001) and the [BITSAdmin](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0190) tool.(Citation: Microsoft BITS)(Citation: Microsoft BITSAdmin) Adversaries may abuse BITS to download (e.g. [Ingress Tool Transfer](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1105)), execute, and even clean up after running malicious code (e.g. [Indicator Removal](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1070)). BITS tasks are self-contained in the BITS job database, without new files or registry modifications, and often permitted by host firewalls.(Citation: CTU BITS Malware June 2016)(Citation: Mondok Windows PiggyBack BITS May 2007)(Citation: Symantec BITS May 2007) BITS enabled execution may also enable persistence by creating long-standing jobs (the default maximum lifetime is 90 days and extendable) or invoking an arbitrary program when a job completes or errors (including after system reboots).(Citation: PaloAlto UBoatRAT Nov 2017)(Citation: CTU BITS Malware June 2016) BITS upload functionalities can also be used to perform [Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1048).(Citation: CTU BITS Malware June 2016)
Research citing this technique
Reports and advisories from the last 90 days that cite this technique.
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2026-08-13Recorded Future Insikt: Malware Crypting Services and the Threat Actors Who Sell Them
Detection coverage
SigmaHQ community rules
- BITS Client BitsProxy DLL Loaded By Uncommon Process (threat-hunting)
- Bitsadmin to Uncommon IP Server Address (core)
- Bitsadmin to Uncommon TLD (core)
- New BITS Job Created Via Bitsadmin (core)
- New BITS Job Created Via PowerShell (core)
- BITS Transfer Job Downloading File Potential Suspicious Extension (core)
- BITS Transfer Job Download From File Sharing Domains (core)
- BITS Transfer Job Download From Direct IP (core)
- BITS Transfer Job With Uncommon Or Suspicious Remote TLD (core)
- BITS Transfer Job Download To Potential Suspicious Folder (core)
- Suspicious Download From Direct IP Via Bitsadmin (core)
- Suspicious Download From File-Sharing Website Via Bitsadmin (core)
- File With Suspicious Extension Downloaded Via Bitsadmin (core)
- File Download Via Bitsadmin To A Suspicious Target Folder (core)
- File Download Via Bitsadmin (core)
- Monitoring For Persistence Via BITS (core)
Elastic and Splunk rules
- Ingress Transfer via Windows BITS (elastic)
- Persistence via BITS Job Notify Cmdline (elastic)
- Bitsadmin Activity (elastic)
- Unsigned BITS Service Client Process (elastic)
- BITS Job Persistence (splunk)
- BITSAdmin Download File (splunk)
- Cisco NVM - Curl Execution With Insecure Flags (splunk)
- Cisco NVM - Suspicious Download From File Sharing Website (splunk)
- PowerShell Start-BitsTransfer (splunk)