Techniques › T1095
T1095 Non-Application Layer Protocol
command and control — ESXi, Linux, macOS, Network Devices, Windows · attack.mitre.org · JSON
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MITRE detection strategy
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analytics
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Sigma rules tagged attack.t1095
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KEV CVEs mapped here
<p>Adversaries may use an OSI non-application layer protocol for communication between host and C2 server or among infected hosts within a network. The list of possible protocols is extensive. Specific examples include use of network layer protocols, such as the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), transport layer protocols, such as the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), session layer protocols, such as Socket Secure (SOCKS), as well as redirected/tunneled protocols, such as Serial over LAN (SOL).</p><p>ICMP communication between hosts is one example. Because ICMP is part of the Internet Protocol Suite, it is required to be implemented by all IP-compatible hosts. However, it is not as commonly monitored as other Internet Protocols such as TCP or UDP and may be used by adversaries to hide communications.</p><p>In ESXi environments, adversaries may leverage the Virtual Machine Communication Interface (VMCI) for communication between guest virtual machines and the ESXi host. This traffic is similar to client-server communications on traditional network sockets but is localized to the physical machine running the ESXi host, meaning it does not traverse external networks (routers, switches). This results in communications that are invisible to external monitoring and standard networking tools like tcpdump, netstat, nmap, and Wireshark. By adding a VMCI backdoor to a compromised ESXi host, adversaries may persistently regain access from any guest VM to the compromised ESXi host’s backdoor, regardless of network segmentation or firewall rules in place.</p>
KEV CVEs mapped to this technique · CTID Mappings Explorer
None. No KEV entry in the public mapping names this technique. Given that 74.7% of KEV has no mapping at all, this says more about the mapping than about the technique.
Detection strategy · ATT&CK Enterprise v19.2
- DET0457 Detection of Non-Application Layer Protocols for C2 v1.0
AN1254 WindowsAnomalous use of ICMP or UDP by non-network service processes for data exfiltration or remote control, especially if traffic bypasses proxy infrastructure or shows unusual flow patterns.Tunable:
ProcessContextAllowListByteTransferAnomalyThresholdProtocolUsageBaselineAN1255 LinuxICMP or raw socket traffic generated by user-mode processes like bash, Python, or nc, typically usingping,hping3, or crafted packets via libpcap or scapy.Tunable:RawSocketExecutionPathTimeWindowAN1256 macOSUnsigned binaries or interpreted scripts initiating non-standard protocols (ICMP, UDP, SOCKS) outside of baseline network behavior.Tunable:UnsignedBinaryNetworkUsageAN1257 ESXiVMCI (Virtual Machine Communication Interface) traffic between guest and host, or between VMs, originating from non-management tools or unauthorized binaries.Tunable:VMCIBackdoorProcessGuestToHostCommPatternAN1258 Network DevicesNon-standard port/protocol pairings or low-entropy ICMP traffic resembling tunneling patterns (e.g., fixed-size pings with delays).Tunable:ProtocolEntropyThresholdSessionDurationThreshold
Sigma rules · SigmaHQ da9bb07d64, tag attack.t1095
Author: frack113
· 2021-07-21 (modified 2023-10-27) · logsource: product=windows category=ps_classic_start · c5b20776-639a-49bf-94c7-84f912b91c15
Adversaries may use a non-application layer protocol for communication between host and C2 server or among infected hosts within a network
Author: frack113, Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
· 2021-07-21 (modified 2023-02-08) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · e31033fc-33f0-4020-9a16-faf9b31cbf08
Detects execution of Netcat. Adversaries may use a non-application layer protocol for communication between host and C2 server or among infected hosts within a network
Author: @neu5ron, SOC Prime Team, Corelight
· 2021-05-04 (modified 2022-11-29) · logsource: product=zeek service=dns · ede05abc-2c9e-4624-9944-9ff17fdc0bf5
The DNS Z flag is bit within the DNS protocol header that is, per the IETF design, meant to be used reserved (unused).
Although recently it has been used in DNSSec, the value being set to anything other than 0 should be rare.
Otherwise if it is set to non 0 and DNSSec is being used, then excluding the legitimate domains is low effort and high reward.
Determine if multiple of these files were accessed in a short period of time to further enhance the possibility of seeing if this was a one off or the possibility of larger sensitive file gathering.
This Sigma query is designed to accompany the Corelight Threat Hunting Guide, which can be found here: https://www3.corelight.com/corelights-introductory-guide-to-threat-hunting-with-zeek-bro-logs'