type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--cca0ccb6-a068-4574-a722-b1556f86833a
created: 2020-10-02T17:07:01.502Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1598
external_id: T1598
source_name: ACSC Email Spoofing
description: Australian Cyber Security Centre. (2012, December). Mitigating Spoofed Emails Using Sender Policy Framework. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
url: https://web.archive.org/web/20210708014107/https://www.cyber.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-03/spoof_email_sender_policy_framework.pdf
source_name: Avertium callback phishing
description: Avertium. (n.d.). EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CALLBACK PHISHING. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
url: https://www.avertium.com/resources/threat-reports/everything-you-need-to-know-about-callback-phishing
source_name: TrendMictro Phishing
description: Babon, P. (2020, September 3). Tricky 'Forms' of Phishing. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
url: https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/20/i/tricky-forms-of-phishing.html
source_name: Sophos Attachment
description: Ducklin, P. (2020, October 2). Serious Security: Phishing without links – when phishers bring along their own web pages. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
url: https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/10/02/serious-security-phishing-without-links-when-phishers-bring-along-their-own-web-pages/
source_name: cyberproof-double-bounce
description: Itkin, Liora. (2022, September 1). Double-bounced attacks with email spoofing . Retrieved February 24, 2023.
url: https://blog.cyberproof.com/blog/double-bounced-attacks-with-email-spoofing-2022-trends
source_name: PCMag FakeLogin
description: Kan, M. (2019, October 24). Hackers Try to Phish United Nations Staffers With Fake Login Pages. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
url: https://www.pcmag.com/news/hackers-try-to-phish-united-nations-staffers-with-fake-login-pages
source_name: Microsoft Anti Spoofing
description: Microsoft. (2020, October 13). Anti-spoofing protection in EOP. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
url: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/office-365-security/anti-spoofing-protection?view=o365-worldwide
source_name: Microsoft OAuth Spam 2022
description: Microsoft. (2023, September 22). Malicious OAuth applications abuse cloud email services to spread spam. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
url: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2022/09/22/malicious-oauth-applications-used-to-compromise-email-servers-and-spread-spam/
source_name: ThreatPost Social Media Phishing
description: O'Donnell, L. (2020, October 20). Facebook: A Top Launching Pad For Phishing Attacks. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
url: https://threatpost.com/facebook-launching-pad-phishing-attacks/160351/
source_name: Proofpoint-spoof
description: Proofpoint. (n.d.). What Is Email Spoofing?. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
url: https://www.proofpoint.com/us/threat-reference/email-spoofing
source_name: GitHub Phishery
description: Ryan Hanson. (2016, September 24). phishery. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
url: https://github.com/ryhanson/phishery
source_name: Palo Alto Unit 42 VBA Infostealer 2014
description: Vicky Ray and Rob Downs. (2014, October 29). Examining a VBA-Initiated Infostealer Campaign. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
url: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/examining-vba-initiated-infostealer-campaign/
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:49:24.096Z
name: Phishing for Information
description: Adversaries may send phishing messages to elicit sensitive information that can be used during targeting. Phishing for information is an attempt to trick targets into divulging information, frequently credentials or other actionable information. Phishing for information is different from [Phishing](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566) in that the objective is gathering data from the victim rather than executing malicious code.

All forms of phishing are electronically delivered social engineering. Phishing can be targeted, known as spearphishing. In spearphishing, a specific individual, company, or industry will be targeted by the adversary. More generally, adversaries can conduct non-targeted phishing, such as in mass credential harvesting campaigns.

Adversaries may also try to obtain information directly through the exchange of emails, instant messages, or other electronic conversation means.(Citation: ThreatPost Social Media Phishing)(Citation: TrendMictro Phishing)(Citation: PCMag FakeLogin)(Citation: Sophos Attachment)(Citation: GitHub Phishery) Victims may also receive phishing messages that direct them to call a phone number where the adversary attempts to collect confidential information.(Citation: Avertium callback phishing)

Phishing for information frequently involves social engineering techniques, such as posing as a source with a reason to collect information (ex: [Establish Accounts](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1585) or [Compromise Accounts](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1586)) and/or sending multiple, seemingly urgent messages. Another way to accomplish this is by [Email Spoofing](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1672)(Citation: Proofpoint-spoof) the identity of the sender, which can be used to fool both the human recipient as well as automated security tools.(Citation: cyberproof-double-bounce) 

Phishing for information may also involve evasive techniques, such as removing or manipulating emails or metadata/headers from compromised accounts being abused to send messages (e.g., [Email Hiding Rules](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1564/008)).(Citation: Microsoft OAuth Spam 2022)(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 VBA Infostealer 2014)
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: reconnaissance
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.2.0
x_mitre_contributors: Philip Winther
Sebastian Salla, McAfee
Robert Simmons, @MalwareUtkonos
Ohad Zaidenberg, @ohad_mz
Liora Itkin
Liran Ravich, CardinalOps
Scott Cook, Capital One
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: PRE
x_mitre_version: 1.4