type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--b17a1a56-e99c-403c-8948-561df0cffe81
created: 2017-05-31T21:31:00.645Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1078
external_id: T1078
source_name: volexity_0day_sophos_FW
description: Adair, S., Lancaster, T., Volexity Threat Research. (2022, June 15). DriftingCloud: Zero-Day Sophos Firewall Exploitation and an Insidious Breach. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
url: https://www.volexity.com/blog/2022/06/15/driftingcloud-zero-day-sophos-firewall-exploitation-and-an-insidious-breach/
source_name: CISA MFA PrintNightmare
description: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. (2022, March 15). Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Actors Gain Network Access by Exploiting Default Multifactor Authentication Protocols and “PrintNightmare” Vulnerability. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
url: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/alerts/aa22-074a
source_name: TechNet Credential Theft
description: Microsoft. (2016, April 15). Attractive Accounts for Credential Theft. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
url: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn535501.aspx
source_name: TechNet Audit Policy
description: Microsoft. (2016, April 15). Audit Policy Recommendations. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
url: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn487457.aspx
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:49:14.095Z
name: Valid Accounts
description: Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of existing accounts as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Compromised credentials may be used to bypass access controls placed on various resources on systems within the network and may even be used for persistent access to remote systems and externally available services, such as VPNs, Outlook Web Access, network devices, and remote desktop.(Citation: volexity_0day_sophos_FW) Compromised credentials may also grant an adversary increased privilege to specific systems or access to restricted areas of the network. Adversaries may choose not to use malware or tools in conjunction with the legitimate access those credentials provide to make it harder to detect their presence.

In some cases, adversaries may abuse inactive accounts: for example, those belonging to individuals who are no longer part of an organization. Using these accounts may allow the adversary to evade detection, as the original account user will not be present to identify any anomalous activity taking place on their account.(Citation: CISA MFA PrintNightmare)

The overlap of permissions for local, domain, and cloud accounts across a network of systems is of concern because the adversary may be able to pivot across accounts and systems to reach a high level of access (i.e., domain or enterprise administrator) to bypass access controls set within the enterprise.(Citation: TechNet Credential Theft)
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: defense-evasion
kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: persistence
kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: privilege-escalation
kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: initial-access
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.2.0
x_mitre_contributors: Syed Ummar Farooqh, McAfee
Prasad Somasamudram, McAfee
Sekhar Sarukkai, McAfee
Jon Sternstein, Stern Security
Yossi Weizman, Azure Defender Research Team
Netskope
Mark Wee
Praetorian
Menachem Goldstein
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: Containers
ESXi
IaaS
Identity Provider
Linux
macOS
Network Devices
Office Suite
SaaS
Windows
x_mitre_version: 2.8