Unsecured Credentials: Private Keys

Adversaries may search for private key certificate files on compromised systems for insecurely stored credentials. Private cryptographic keys and certificates are used for authentication, encryption/decryption, and digital signatures.[1] Common key and certificate file extensions include: .key, .pgp, .gpg, .ppk., .p12, .pem, .pfx, .cer, .p7b, .asc.

Adversaries may also look in common key directories, such as ~/.ssh for SSH keys on * nix-based systems or C:\Users\(username)\.ssh\ on Windows. Adversary tools may also search compromised systems for file extensions relating to cryptographic keys and certificates.[2][3]

When a device is registered to Azure AD, a device key and a transport key are generated and used to verify the device’s identity.[4] An adversary with access to the device may be able to export the keys in order to impersonate the device.[5]

On network devices, private keys may be exported via Network Device CLI commands such as crypto pki export.[6]

Some private keys require a password or passphrase for operation, so an adversary may also use Input Capture for keylogging or attempt to Brute Force the passphrase off-line. These private keys can be used to authenticate to Remote Services like SSH or for use in decrypting other collected files such as email.

ID: T1552.004
Sub-technique of:  T1552
Platforms: Linux, Network, Windows, macOS
Contributors: Austin Clark, @c2defense; Itzik Kotler, SafeBreach
Version: 1.1
Created: 04 February 2020
Last Modified: 12 April 2023

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S0677 AADInternals

AADInternals can gather encryption keys from Azure AD services such as ADSync and Active Directory Federated Services servers.[7]

S0377 Ebury

Ebury has intercepted unencrypted private keys as well as private key pass-phrases.[8]

S0363 Empire

Empire can use modules like Invoke-SessionGopher to extract private key and session information.[9]

S0661 FoggyWeb

FoggyWeb can retrieve token signing certificates and token decryption certificates from a compromised AD FS server.[10]

S0601 Hildegard

Hildegard has searched for private keys in .ssh.[11]

S0283 jRAT

jRAT can steal keys for VPNs and cryptocurrency wallets.[12]

S0599 Kinsing

Kinsing has searched for private keys.[13]

S0409 Machete

Machete has scanned and looked for cryptographic keys and certificate file extensions.[14]

S1060 Mafalda

Mafalda can collect a Chrome encryption key used to protect browser cookies.[15]

S0002 Mimikatz

Mimikatz's CRYPTO::Extract module can extract keys by interacting with Windows cryptographic application programming interface (API) functions.[16]

C0014 Operation Wocao

During Operation Wocao, threat actors used Mimikatz to dump certificates and private keys from the Windows certificate store.[17]

G0106 Rocke

Rocke has used SSH private keys on the infected machine to spread its coinminer throughout a network.[18]

C0024 SolarWinds Compromise

During the SolarWinds Compromise, APT29 obtained PKI keys, certificate files, and the private encryption key from an Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) container to decrypt corresponding SAML signing certificates.[19][20]

G0139 TeamTNT

TeamTNT has searched for unsecured SSH keys.[21][22]

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1047 Audit

Ensure only authorized keys are allowed access to critical resources and audit access lists regularly.

M1041 Encrypt Sensitive Information

When possible, store keys on separate cryptographic hardware instead of on the local system. For example, on Windows systems use a TPM to secure keys and other sensitive credential material.[4]

M1027 Password Policies

Use strong passphrases for private keys to make cracking difficult.

M1022 Restrict File and Directory Permissions

Ensure permissions are properly set on folders containing sensitive private keys to prevent unintended access. Additionally, on Cisco devices, set the nonexportable flag during RSA key pair generation.[6]

Detection

ID Data Source Data Component Detects
DS0017 Command Command Execution

Monitor executed commands and arguments that may search for private key certificate files on compromised systems for insecurely stored credentials.

DS0022 File File Access

Monitor access to files and directories related to cryptographic keys and certificates as a means for potentially detecting access patterns that may indicate collection and exfiltration activity.

References