Computer Breach and Data Loss 

1 Begin: Attack Path 

1.1 Initial Foothold – Social Engineering:

The attacker initiated the breach through a phishing email, leveraging social engineering to trick a help-desk employee into clicking on a malicious link and providing their Windows Active Directory credentials. The MITRE ATT&CK Navigator, when examined for “social engineering” techniques, reveals potential avenues such as Spear phishing via Service, Credential Phishing, and Phishing for Information. Each technique can be associated with the initial compromise, providing insights into the attacker’s methods.

1.1.1      Initial Access:

               Technique: Spear Phishing (TA0041)

               Description: The attacker sent a phishing email containing a malicious link to a help desk employee. Clicking the link led to a credential phishing page impersonating Windows Active Directory login, stealing the victim’s AD credentials.

1.1.2      Execution:

               Technique: Lateral Movement via Service Accounts (TA0786)

               Description: The stolen AD credentials likely belonged to a help-desk account with access to internal services. Leveraging this account, the attacker could move laterally within the network to identify and access target systems.

1.1.3      Discovery and Reconnaissance:

               Technique: Internal Remote Desktop (RD) (TA0745)

               Description: The attacker might have used the compromised service account to access other machines through Remote Desktop connections, enabling further exploration and privilege escalation attempts.

                Technique: System Discovery (TA0558)

                Description: Once on target systems, the attacker could utilize tools like Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) or network queries to discover active directories, server roles, and potential data locations.

1.1.4      Privilege Escalation:

                Technique: Pass-the-Hash (TA0780)

                Description: The attacker could have used the stolen AD credentials to obtain password hashes and attempt pass-the-hash attacks on privileged accounts with higher access levels. Attackers could attempt to use stolen credentials (or their hashes) to gain access to higher-privileged accounts through techniques like pass-the-hash attacks.

                Technique: Brute Force (TA0001)

                Description: Alternatively, brute-force attacks against local administrator accounts on target servers could be employed to gain higher privileges.

1.1.5      Credential Access:

                Technique: Credential Dumping (TA0799)

                Description: Utilizing tools like Mimikatz or LaZagne, the attacker could dump credentials stored in memory or registry of compromised systems, revealing additional logins for further lateral movement or privilege escalation.

1.1.6      Data Access:

                Technique: SQL Injection (TA0005)

                Description: If databases were directly accessible from compromised systems, SQL injection attacks could be used to bypass authentication and access sensitive data.

                Database Identification: Attackers might seek sensitive databases through techniques like SQL injection probes or searching for database connection strings in configuration files.

               Technique: Querying Databases (TA0795)

                Description: The attacker might leverage legitimate database access tools or stolen credentials to directly query specific databases containing customer data.

                Querying Databases: Using legitimate database access tools, stolen credentials, or SQL injection techniques, they could directly query databases for sensitive information.

1.1.7      Data Exfiltration:

                Technique: Exfiltration Over C2 Channel (TA0024)

                Description: The stolen data could be compressed and uploaded to a remote command-and-control server through covert channels like DNS exfiltration or steganography within seemingly innocuous files.

                Compression and Encryption: Attackers often compress stolen data to reduce file size and encrypt it to avoid detection during exfiltration.

                Covert Channels: They might use techniques like DNS tunneling or steganography to hide data within seemingly innocuous network traffic or files.

       Exfiltration Over C2 Channel: Using a command-and-control (C2) server, attackers could upload stolen data to a remote location under their control