type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--10ffac09-e42d-4f56-ab20-db94c67d76ff
created: 2019-10-08T20:04:35.508Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1539
external_id: T1539
source_name: Krebs Discord Bookmarks 2023
description: Brian Krebs. (2023, May 30). Discord Admins Hacked by Malicious Bookmarks. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
url: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/05/discord-admins-hacked-by-malicious-bookmarks/
source_name: Unit 42 Mac Crypto Cookies January 2019
description: Chen, Y., Hu, W., Xu, Z., et. al. (2019, January 31). Mac Malware Steals Cryptocurrency Exchanges’ Cookies. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
url: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/mac-malware-steals-cryptocurrency-exchanges-cookies/
source_name: Kaspersky TajMahal April 2019
description: GReAT. (2019, April 10). Project TajMahal – a sophisticated new APT framework. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
url: https://securelist.com/project-tajmahal/90240/
source_name: Github evilginx2
description: Gretzky, Kuba. (2019, April 10). Retrieved October 8, 2019.
url: https://github.com/kgretzky/evilginx2
source_name: GitHub Mauraena
description: Orrù, M., Trotta, G.. (2019, September 11). Muraena. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
url: https://github.com/muraenateam/muraena
source_name: Pass The Cookie
description: Rehberger, J. (2018, December). Pivot to the Cloud using Pass the Cookie. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
url: https://wunderwuzzi23.github.io/blog/passthecookie.html
source_name: Talos Roblox Scam 2023
description: Tiago Pereira. (2023, November 2). Attackers use JavaScript URLs, API forms and more to scam users in popular online game “Roblox”. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
url: https://blog.talosintelligence.com/roblox-scam-overview/
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:48:25.272Z
name: Steal Web Session Cookie
description: An adversary may steal web application or service session cookies and use them to gain access to web applications or Internet services as an authenticated user without needing credentials. Web applications and services often use session cookies as an authentication token after a user has authenticated to a website.

Cookies are often valid for an extended period of time, even if the web application is not actively used. Cookies can be found on disk, in the process memory of the browser, and in network traffic to remote systems. Additionally, other applications on the targets machine might store sensitive authentication cookies in memory (e.g. apps which authenticate to cloud services). Session cookies can be used to bypasses some multi-factor authentication protocols.(Citation: Pass The Cookie)

There are several examples of malware targeting cookies from web browsers on the local system.(Citation: Kaspersky TajMahal April 2019)(Citation: Unit 42 Mac Crypto Cookies January 2019) Adversaries may also steal cookies by injecting malicious JavaScript content into websites or relying on [User Execution](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204) by tricking victims into running malicious JavaScript in their browser.(Citation: Talos Roblox Scam 2023)(Citation: Krebs Discord Bookmarks 2023)

There are also open source frameworks such as `Evilginx2` and `Muraena` that can gather session cookies through a malicious proxy (e.g., [Adversary-in-the-Middle](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1557)) that can be set up by an adversary and used in phishing campaigns.(Citation: Github evilginx2)(Citation: GitHub Mauraena)

After an adversary acquires a valid cookie, they can then perform a [Web Session Cookie](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1550/004) technique to login to the corresponding web application.
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: credential-access
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.3.0
x_mitre_contributors: Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC)
Johann Rehberger
Menachem Goldstein
Don Le, Stifel Financial
x_mitre_deprecated: no
x_mitre_domains: enterprise-attack
x_mitre_is_subtechnique: no
x_mitre_modified_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
x_mitre_platforms: Linux
Office Suite
SaaS
Windows
macOS
x_mitre_version: 1.5