kevmap

Techniques › T1204 › T1204.003

T1204.003 Malicious Image

execution — IaaS, Containers · attack.mitre.org · JSON

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MITRE detection strategy
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analytics
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Sigma rules tagged attack.t1204.003
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KEV CVEs mapped here
<p>Adversaries may rely on a user running a malicious image to facilitate execution. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Amazon Machine Images (AMIs), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Images, and Azure Images as well as popular container runtimes such as Docker can be backdoored. Backdoored images may be uploaded to a public repository via Upload Malware, and users may then download and deploy an instance or container from the image without realizing the image is malicious, thus bypassing techniques that specifically achieve Initial Access. This can lead to the execution of malicious code, such as code that executes cryptocurrency mining, in the instance or container.</p><p>Adversaries may also name images a certain way to increase the chance of users mistakenly deploying an instance or container from the image (ex: Match Legitimate Resource Name or Location).</p>

KEV CVEs mapped to this technique · CTID Mappings Explorer

None. No KEV entry in the public mapping names this technique. Given that 74.7% of KEV has no mapping at all, this says more about the mapping than about the technique.

Detection strategy · ATT&CK Enterprise v19.2

Sigma rules · SigmaHQ da9bb07d64, tag attack.t1204.003

No Sigma rule carries this tag. MITRE publishes a detection strategy above, so the behaviour is specified; what is missing is public detection content.

Rules tagged at the parent level (attack.t1204) 10

These target the parent technique, not this sub-technique specifically. Listed for completeness, not counted as coverage.

Potentially Suspicious WebDAV LNK Execution mediumtest
Author: Micah Babinski · 2023-08-21 · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · 1412aa78-a24c-4abd-83df-767dfb2c5bbe
Detects possible execution via LNK file accessed on a WebDAV server.
Techniques: T1059.001T1204
Payload Decoded and Decrypted via Built-in Utilities mediumtest
Author: Tim Rauch (rule), Elastic (idea) · 2022-10-17 · logsource: product=macos category=process_creation · 234dc5df-40b5-49d1-bf53-0d44ce778eca
Detects when a built-in utility is used to decode and decrypt a payload after a macOS disk image (DMG) is executed. Malware authors may attempt to evade detection and trick users into executing malicious code by encoding and encrypting their payload and placing it in a disk image file. This behavior is consistent with adware or malware families such as Bundlore and Shlayer.
Techniques: T1059T1204T1140
Arbitrary Shell Command Execution Via Settingcontent-Ms mediumtest
Author: Sreeman · 2020-03-13 (modified 2022-04-14) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · 24de4f3b-804c-4165-b442-5a06a2302c7e
The .SettingContent-ms file type was introduced in Windows 10 and allows a user to create "shortcuts" to various Windows 10 setting pages. These files are simply XML and contain paths to various Windows 10 settings binaries.
Techniques: T1204T1566.001
Potential Snatch Ransomware Activity highstable
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) · 2020-08-26 (modified 2025-10-19) · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · 5325945e-f1f0-406e-97b8-65104d393fff
Detects specific process characteristics of Snatch ransomware word document droppers
Techniques: T1204
Suspicious Deno File Written from Remote Source lowexperimental
Author: Josh Nickels, Michael Taggart · 2025-05-22 · logsource: product=windows category=file_event · 6c0ce3b6-85e2-49d4-9c3f-6e008ce9796e
Detects Deno writing a file from a direct HTTP(s) call and writing to the appdata folder or bringing it's own malicious DLL. This behavior may indicate an attempt to execute remotely hosted, potentially malicious files through deno.
Techniques: T1204T1059.007T1105
Suspicious Execution via macOS Script Editor mediumtest
Author: Tim Rauch (rule), Elastic (idea) · 2022-10-21 (modified 2022-12-28) · logsource: product=macos category=process_creation · 6e4dcdd1-e48b-42f7-b2d8-3b413fc58cb4
Detects when the macOS Script Editor utility spawns an unusual child process.
Techniques: T1566T1566.002T1059T1059.002T1204T1204.001T1553
DarkSide Ransomware Pattern criticaltest
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) · 2021-05-14 · logsource: product=windows category=process_creation · 965fff6c-1d7e-4e25-91fd-cdccd75f7d2c
Detects DarkSide Ransomware and helpers
Techniques: T1204
Suspicious Binaries and Scripts in Public Folder highexperimental
Author: The DFIR Report · 2025-01-23 · logsource: product=windows category=file_event · b447f7de-1e53-4cbf-bfb4-f1f6d0b04e4e
Detects the creation of a file with a suspicious extension in the public folder, which could indicate potential malicious activity.
Techniques: T1204
PrinterNightmare Mimikatz Driver Name criticaltest
Author: Markus Neis, @markus_neis, Florian Roth · 2021-07-04 (modified 2023-06-12) · logsource: product=windows category=registry_event · ba6b9e43-1d45-4d3c-a504-1043a64c8469
Detects static QMS 810 and mimikatz driver name used by Mimikatz as exploited in CVE-2021-1675 and CVE-2021-34527
Techniques: T1204
CVE tags: CVE-2021-1675CVE-2021-34527
Antivirus - Hacktool Signature highstable
Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Arnim Rupp · 2021-08-16 (modified 2026-06-15) · logsource: category=antivirus · fa0c05b6-8ad3-468d-8231-c1cbccb64fba
Detects a highly relevant Antivirus alert that reports a hack tool or other attack tool. This event must not be ignored just because the AV has blocked the malware but investigate, how it came there in the first place.
Techniques: T1204