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TECHNIQUES
PRE-ATT&CK
Priority Definition Planning
Priority Definition Direction
Target Selection
Technical Information Gathering
People Information Gathering
Organizational Information Gathering
Technical Weakness Identification
People Weakness Identification
Organizational Weakness Identification
Adversary OPSEC
Establish & Maintain Infrastructure
Persona Development
Build Capabilities
Test Capabilities
Stage Capabilities
Enterprise
Initial Access
Phishing
Supply Chain Compromise
Valid Accounts
Execution
Command and Scripting Interpreter
Inter-Process Communication
Scheduled Task/Job
System Services
User Execution
Persistence
Account Manipulation
Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts
Create Account
Create or Modify System Process
Event Triggered Execution
Hijack Execution Flow
Office Application Startup
Pre-OS Boot
Scheduled Task/Job
Server Software Component
Traffic Signaling
Valid Accounts
Privilege Escalation
Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism
Access Token Manipulation
Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts
Create or Modify System Process
Event Triggered Execution
Hijack Execution Flow
Process Injection
Scheduled Task/Job
Valid Accounts
Defense Evasion
Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism
Access Token Manipulation
Execution Guardrails
File and Directory Permissions Modification
Hide Artifacts
Hijack Execution Flow
Impair Defenses
Indicator Removal on Host
Masquerading
Modify Authentication Process
Modify Cloud Compute Infrastructure
Obfuscated Files or Information
Pre-OS Boot
Process Injection
Signed Binary Proxy Execution
Signed Script Proxy Execution
Subvert Trust Controls
Traffic Signaling
Trusted Developer Utilities Proxy Execution
Use Alternate Authentication Material
Valid Accounts
Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion
Credential Access
Brute Force
Credentials from Password Stores
Input Capture
Man-in-the-Middle
Modify Authentication Process
OS Credential Dumping
Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets
Unsecured Credentials
Discovery
Account Discovery
Permission Groups Discovery
Software Discovery
Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion
Lateral Movement
Remote Service Session Hijacking
Remote Services
Use Alternate Authentication Material
Collection
Archive Collected Data
Data from Information Repositories
Data Staged
Email Collection
Input Capture
Man-in-the-Middle
Command and Control
Application Layer Protocol
Data Encoding
Data Obfuscation
Dynamic Resolution
Encrypted Channel
Proxy
Traffic Signaling
Web Service
Exfiltration
Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol
Exfiltration Over Other Network Medium
Exfiltration Over Physical Medium
Exfiltration Over Web Service
Impact
Data Manipulation
Defacement
Disk Wipe
Endpoint Denial of Service
Network Denial of Service
Mobile
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Privilege Escalation
Defense Evasion
Credential Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
Command and Control
Exfiltration
Impact
Network Effects
Remote Service Effects
  1. Home
  2. Techniques
  3. Enterprise
  4. Hide Artifacts
  5. Hidden Window

Hide Artifacts: Hidden Window

ID Name
T1564.001 Hidden Files and Directories
T1564.002 Hidden Users
T1564.003 Hidden Window
T1564.004 NTFS File Attributes
T1564.005 Hidden File System
T1564.006 Run Virtual Instance

Adversaries may use hidden windows to conceal malicious activity from the plain sight of users. In some cases, windows that would typically be displayed when an application carries out an operation can be hidden. This may be utilized by system administrators to avoid disrupting user work environments when carrying out administrative tasks.

On Windows, there are a variety of features in scripting languages in Windows, such as PowerShell, Jscript, and Visual Basic to make windows hidden. One example of this is powershell.exe -WindowStyle Hidden. [1]

Similarly, on macOS the configurations for how applications run are listed in property list (plist) files. One of the tags in these files can be apple.awt.UIElement, which allows for Java applications to prevent the application's icon from appearing in the Dock. A common use for this is when applications run in the system tray, but don't also want to show up in the Dock.

Adversaries may abuse these functionalities to hide otherwise visible windows from users so as not to alert the user to adversary activity on the system.[2]

ID: T1564.003
Sub-technique of:  T1564
Tactic: Defense Evasion
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Permissions Required: User
Data Sources: File monitoring, PowerShell logs, Process command-line parameters, Process monitoring
Contributors: Travis Smith, Tripwire
Version: 1.0
Created: 13 March 2020
Last Modified: 29 March 2020

Procedure Examples

Name Description
Agent Tesla

Agent Tesla has used ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden to hide windows.[11]
APT19

APT19 used -W Hidden to conceal PowerShell windows by setting the WindowStyle parameter to hidden. [20]
APT28

APT28 has used the WindowStyle parameter to conceal PowerShell windows.[16] [17]
APT3

APT3 has been known to use -WindowStyle Hidden to conceal PowerShell windows.[15]
APT32

APT32 has used the WindowStyle parameter to conceal PowerShell windows. [18] [19]
Astaroth

Astaroth loads its module with the XSL script parameter vShow set to zero, which opens the application with a hidden window. [3]
BONDUPDATER

BONDUPDATER uses -windowstyle hidden to conceal a PowerShell window that downloads a payload.[5]
CopyKittens

CopyKittens has used -w hidden and -windowstyle hidden to conceal PowerShell windows. [21]
DarkHydrus

DarkHydrus has used -WindowStyle Hidden to conceal PowerShell windows. [22]
Deep Panda

Deep Panda has used -w hidden to conceal PowerShell windows by setting the WindowStyle parameter to hidden. [23]
Gorgon Group

Gorgon Group has used -W Hidden to conceal PowerShell windows by setting the WindowStyle parameter to hidden. [24]
HAMMERTOSS

HAMMERTOSS has used -WindowStyle hidden to conceal PowerShell windows.[6]
HotCroissant

HotCroissant has the ability to hide the window for operations performed on a given file.[8]
KeyBoy

KeyBoy uses -w Hidden to conceal a PowerShell window that downloads a payload. [4]
Kivars

Kivars has the ability to conceal its activity through hiding active windows.[9]
Magic Hound

Magic Hound malware has a function to determine whether the C2 server wishes to execute the newly dropped file in a hidden window.[14]
Metamorfo

Metamorfo has hidden its GUI using the ShowWindow() WINAPI call.[12]

PowerShower

PowerShower has added a registry key so future powershell.exe instances are spawned with coordinates for a window position off-screen by default.[10]
Ursnif

Ursnif droppers have used COM properties to execute malware in hidden windows.[7]
WindTail

WindTail can instruct the OS to execute an application without a dock icon or menu.[13]

Mitigations

Mitigation Description
Execution Prevention

Limit or restrict program execution using anti-virus software. On MacOS, allowlist programs that are allowed to have the plist tag. All other programs should be considered suspicious.

Detection

Monitor processes and command-line arguments for actions indicative of hidden windows. In Windows, enable and configure event logging and PowerShell logging to check for the hidden window style. In MacOS, plist files are ASCII text files with a specific format, so they're relatively easy to parse. File monitoring can check for the apple.awt.UIElement or any other suspicious plist tag in plist files and flag them.

References

  1. Wheeler, S. et al.. (2019, May 1). About PowerShell.exe. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  2. Thomas Reed. (2017, January 18). New Mac backdoor using antiquated code. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  3. Salem, E. (2019, February 13). ASTAROTH MALWARE USES LEGITIMATE OS AND ANTIVIRUS PROCESSES TO STEAL PASSWORDS AND PERSONAL DATA. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  4. Parys, B. (2017, February 11). The KeyBoys are back in town. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  5. Sardiwal, M, et al. (2017, December 7). New Targeted Attack in the Middle East by APT34, a Suspected Iranian Threat Group, Using CVE-2017-11882 Exploit. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  6. FireEye Labs. (2015, July). HAMMERTOSS: Stealthy Tactics Define a Russian Cyber Threat Group. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  7. Holland, A. (2019, March 7). Tricks and COMfoolery: How Ursnif Evades Detection. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  8. Knight, S.. (2020, April 16). VMware Carbon Black TAU Threat Analysis: The Evolution of Lazarus. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  9. Bermejo, L., et al. (2017, June 22). Following the Trail of BlackTech’s Cyber Espionage Campaigns. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  10. Lancaster, T. (2018, November 5). Inception Attackers Target Europe with Year-old Office Vulnerability. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  11. Jazi, H. (2020, April 16). New AgentTesla variant steals WiFi credentials. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  12. Erlich, C. (2020, April 3). The Avast Abuser: Metamorfo Banking Malware Hides By Abusing Avast Executable. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  1. Wardle, Patrick. (2018, December 20). Middle East Cyber-Espionage analyzing WindShift's implant: OSX.WindTail (part 1). Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  2. Lee, B. and Falcone, R. (2017, February 15). Magic Hound Campaign Attacks Saudi Targets. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  3. Moran, N., et al. (2014, November 21). Operation Double Tap. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  4. Lee, B., Falcone, R. (2018, June 06). Sofacy Group’s Parallel Attacks. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  5. Sherstobitoff, R., Rea, M. (2017, November 7). Threat Group APT28 Slips Office Malware into Doc Citing NYC Terror Attack. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  6. Carr, N.. (2017, May 14). Cyber Espionage is Alive and Well: APT32 and the Threat to Global Corporations. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  7. Dahan, A. (2017). Operation Cobalt Kitty. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  8. Ahl, I. (2017, June 06). Privileges and Credentials: Phished at the Request of Counsel. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  9. ClearSky Cyber Security and Trend Micro. (2017, July). Operation Wilted Tulip: Exposing a cyber espionage apparatus. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  10. Falcone, R., et al. (2018, July 27). New Threat Actor Group DarkHydrus Targets Middle East Government. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  11. Alperovitch, D. (2014, July 7). Deep in Thought: Chinese Targeting of National Security Think Tanks. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  12. Falcone, R., et al. (2018, August 02). The Gorgon Group: Slithering Between Nation State and Cybercrime. Retrieved August 7, 2018.