type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--c8e87b83-edbb-48d4-9295-4974897525b7
created: 2018-04-18T17:59:24.739Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1197
external_id: T1197
source_name: CTU BITS Malware June 2016
description: Counter Threat Unit Research Team. (2016, June 6). Malware Lingers with BITS. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
url: https://www.secureworks.com/blog/malware-lingers-with-bits
source_name: Symantec BITS May 2007
description: Florio, E. (2007, May 9). Malware Update with Windows Update. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
url: https://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/malware-update-windows-update
source_name: Elastic - Hunting for Persistence Part 1
description: French, D., Murphy, B. (2020, March 24). Adversary tradecraft 101: Hunting for persistence using Elastic Security (Part 1). Retrieved December 21, 2020.
url: https://www.elastic.co/blog/hunting-for-persistence-using-elastic-security-part-1
source_name: PaloAlto UBoatRAT Nov 2017
description: Hayashi, K. (2017, November 28). UBoatRAT Navigates East Asia. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
url: https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2017/11/unit42-uboatrat-navigates-east-asia/
source_name: Microsoft Issues with BITS July 2011
description: Microsoft. (2011, July 19). Issues with BITS. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
url: https://technet.microsoft.com/library/dd939934.aspx
source_name: Microsoft BITS
description: Microsoft. (n.d.). Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
url: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/desktop/bb968799.aspx
source_name: Microsoft BITSAdmin
description: Microsoft. (n.d.). BITSAdmin Tool. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
url: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa362813.aspx
source_name: Microsoft COM
description: Microsoft. (n.d.). Component Object Model (COM). Retrieved November 22, 2017.
url: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/desktop/ms680573.aspx
source_name: Mondok Windows PiggyBack BITS May 2007
description: Mondok, M. (2007, May 11). Malware piggybacks on Windows’ Background Intelligent Transfer Service. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
url: https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2007/05/malware-piggybacks-on-windows-background-intelligent-transfer-service/
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:49:22.711Z
name: BITS Jobs
description: Adversaries may abuse BITS jobs to persistently execute code and perform various background tasks. Windows Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) is a low-bandwidth, asynchronous file transfer mechanism exposed through [Component Object Model](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1559/001) (COM).(Citation: Microsoft COM)(Citation: Microsoft BITS) BITS is commonly used by updaters, messengers, and other applications preferred to operate in the background (using available idle bandwidth) without interrupting other networked applications. File transfer tasks are implemented as BITS jobs, which contain a queue of one or more file operations.

The interface to create and manage BITS jobs is accessible through [PowerShell](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/001) and the [BITSAdmin](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0190) tool.(Citation: Microsoft BITS)(Citation: Microsoft BITSAdmin)

Adversaries may abuse BITS to download (e.g. [Ingress Tool Transfer](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1105)), execute, and even clean up after running malicious code (e.g. [Indicator Removal](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1070)). BITS tasks are self-contained in the BITS job database, without new files or registry modifications, and often permitted by host firewalls.(Citation: CTU BITS Malware June 2016)(Citation: Mondok Windows PiggyBack BITS May 2007)(Citation: Symantec BITS May 2007) BITS enabled execution may also enable persistence by creating long-standing jobs (the default maximum lifetime is 90 days and extendable) or invoking an arbitrary program when a job completes or errors (including after system reboots).(Citation: PaloAlto UBoatRAT Nov 2017)(Citation: CTU BITS Malware June 2016)

BITS upload functionalities can also be used to perform [Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1048).(Citation: CTU BITS Malware June 2016)
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: defense-evasion
kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: persistence
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.2.0
x_mitre_contributors: Brent Murphy, Elastic
David French, Elastic
Ricardo Dias
Red Canary
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: Windows
x_mitre_version: 1.5