Applied Cybernetics Group
T1556.006 Multi-Factor Authentication
- Technique
T1556.006- Tactics
- Defense Evasion, Persistence, Credential Access
- Research, 90 days
- 1
- KEV CVEs mapped
- 0
- SigmaHQ rules
- 3
- Elastic, Splunk
- 25
- thrunt rules
- 0
- Upstream
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1556/006
MITRE description
Adversaries may disable or modify multi-factor authentication (MFA) mechanisms to enable persistent access to compromised accounts. Once adversaries have gained access to a network by either compromising an account lacking MFA or by employing an MFA bypass method such as [Multi-Factor Authentication Request Generation](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1621), adversaries may leverage their access to modify or completely disable MFA defenses. This can be accomplished by abusing legitimate features, such as excluding users from Azure AD Conditional Access Policies, registering a new yet vulnerable/adversary-controlled MFA method, or by manually patching MFA programs and configuration files to bypass expected functionality.(Citation: Mandiant APT42)(Citation: Azure AD Conditional Access Exclusions) For example, modifying the Windows hosts file (`C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts`) to redirect MFA calls to localhost instead of an MFA server may cause the MFA process to fail. If a "fail open" policy is in place, any otherwise successful authentication attempt may be granted access without enforcing MFA.(Citation: Russians Exploit Default MFA Protocol - CISA March 2022) Depending on the scope, goals, and privileges of the adversary, MFA defenses may be disabled for individual accounts or for all accounts tied to a larger group, such as all domain accounts in a victim's network environment.(Citation: Russians Exploit Default MFA Protocol - CISA March 2022)
Research citing this technique
Reports and advisories from the last 90 days that cite this technique.
-
2026-10-22Huntress: M365 Token Spray and Replay Campaign Compromises Business Email Accounts
Detection coverage
SigmaHQ community rules
- Azure AD Only Single Factor Authentication Required (core)
- Disabling Multi Factor Authentication (core)
- Okta MFA Reset or Deactivated (core)
Elastic and Splunk rules
- Anthropic Magic Link Second Factor Disabled (elastic)
- AWS IAM Deactivation of MFA Device (elastic)
- AWS IAM Virtual MFA Device Registration Attempt with Session Token (elastic)
- AWS STS AssumeRole with New MFA Device (elastic)
- Entra ID User Sign-in with Unusual Authentication Type (elastic)
- Entra ID MFA Disabled for User (elastic)
- GitHub MFA Requirement Disabled (elastic)
- Google Workspace MFA Enforcement Disabled For Organization (elastic)
- Attempt to Deactivate an Okta Policy (elastic)
- Attempt to Delete an Okta Policy (elastic)
- Attempt to Reset MFA Factors for an Okta User Account (elastic)
- MFA Deactivation with no Re-Activation for Okta User Account (elastic)
- Stolen Credentials Used to Login to Okta Account After MFA Reset (elastic)
- Okta Multi-Factor Authentication Disabled (splunk)
- PingID Mismatch Auth Source and Verification Response (splunk)
- PingID New MFA Method After Credential Reset (splunk)
- PingID New MFA Method Registered For User (splunk)
- ASL AWS Multi-Factor Authentication Disabled (splunk)
- ASL AWS New MFA Method Registered For User (splunk)
- AWS Multi-Factor Authentication Disabled (splunk)
- AWS New MFA Method Registered For User (splunk)
- Azure AD Multi-Factor Authentication Disabled (splunk)
- Azure AD New MFA Method Registered For User (splunk)
- Azure AD Temporary Access Pass Created (splunk)
- GCP Multi-Factor Authentication Disabled (splunk)