type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--3ccef7ae-cb5e-48f6-8302-897105fbf55c
created: 2017-12-14T16:46:06.044Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1140
external_id: T1140
source_name: Volexity PowerDuke November 2016
description: Adair, S.. (2016, November 9). PowerDuke: Widespread Post-Election Spear Phishing Campaigns Targeting Think Tanks and NGOs. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
url: https://www.volexity.com/blog/2016/11/09/powerduke-post-election-spear-phishing-campaigns-targeting-think-tanks-and-ngos/
source_name: Sentinel One Tainted Love 2023
description: Aleksandar Milenkoski, Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade, and Joey Chen. (2023, March 23). Operation Tainted Love | Chinese APTs Target Telcos in New Attacks. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
url: https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/operation-tainted-love-chinese-apts-target-telcos-in-new-attacks/
source_name: Malwarebytes Targeted Attack against Saudi Arabia
description: Malwarebytes Labs. (2017, March 27). New targeted attack against Saudi Arabia Government. Retrieved July 3, 2017.
url: https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrime/social-engineering-cybercrime/2017/03/new-targeted-attack-saudi-arabia-government/
source_name: Carbon Black Obfuscation Sept 2016
description: Tedesco, B. (2016, September 23). Security Alert Summary. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
url: https://www.carbonblack.com/2016/09/23/security-advisory-variants-well-known-adware-families-discovered-include-sophisticated-obfuscation-techniques-previously-associated-nation-state-attacks/
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:48:40.925Z
name: Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information
description: Adversaries may use [Obfuscated Files or Information](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1027) to hide artifacts of an intrusion from analysis. They may require separate mechanisms to decode or deobfuscate that information depending on how they intend to use it. Methods for doing that include built-in functionality of malware or by using utilities present on the system.

One such example is the use of [certutil](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0160) to decode a remote access tool portable executable file that has been hidden inside a certificate file.(Citation: Malwarebytes Targeted Attack against Saudi Arabia) Another example is using the Windows copy /b or type command to reassemble binary fragments into a malicious payload.(Citation: Carbon Black Obfuscation Sept 2016)(Citation: Sentinel One Tainted Love 2023)

Sometimes a user's action may be required to open it for deobfuscation or decryption as part of [User Execution](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1204). The user may also be required to input a password to open a password protected compressed/encrypted file that was provided by the adversary.(Citation: Volexity PowerDuke November 2016)
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: defense-evasion
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.2.0
x_mitre_contributors: Matthew Demaske, Adaptforward
Red Canary
Cristóbal Martínez Martín
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: ESXi
Linux
macOS
Windows
x_mitre_version: 1.4