Detect Access or Search for Unsecured Credentials Across Platforms

Technique Detected:  Unsecured Credentials | T1552

ID: DET0412
Domains: Enterprise
Analytics: AN1153, AN1154, AN1155, AN1156, AN1157, AN1158, AN1159
Version: 1.0
Created: 21 October 2025
Last Modified: 21 October 2025

Analytics

AN1153

Unusual access to bash history, registry credentials paths, or private key files by unauthorized or scripting tools, with correlated file and process activity.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
File Creation (DC0039) WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=11
Process Creation (DC0032) WinEventLog:Security EventCode=4688
Windows Registry Key Modification (DC0063) WinEventLog:Sysmon EventCode=13
Mutable Elements
Field Description
TimeWindow Defines the threshold time for accessing multiple sensitive files indicating automation.
SuspiciousProcessList Process names to monitor (e.g., reg.exe, cmd.exe, powershell.exe, etc.)

AN1154

Reading of sensitive files like .bash_history, /etc/shadow, or private key directories by unauthorized users or unusual processes.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
File Access (DC0055) auditd:SYSCALL open/read system calls to ~/.bash_history or /etc/shadow
Command Execution (DC0064) auditd:SYSCALL execution of tools like cat, grep, or awk on credential files
Mutable Elements
Field Description
SensitivePaths Paths to credential files such as /etc/shadow or ~/.bash_history
UserContext Whether the process runs under a privileged or non-interactive session

AN1155

Unusual access to ~/Library/Keychains, ~/.bash_history, or Terminal command history by unauthorized processes or users.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
File Access (DC0055) macos:unifiedlog read access to ~/Library/Keychains or history files by terminal processes
Command Execution (DC0064) macos:unifiedlog execution of 'security', 'cat', or 'grep' commands accessing credential storage
Mutable Elements
Field Description
ProcessName Tool or command used to query credentials (e.g., security, grep)
TargetPath Credential file paths (e.g., ~/Library/Keychains)

AN1156

Unusual web-based access or API scraping of password managers, single sign-on sessions, or credential sync services via browser automation or anomalous API tokens.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
User Account Authentication (DC0002) saas:googleworkspace Accessed third-party credential management service
Application Log Content (DC0038) saas:zoom unusual web session tokens and automation patterns during login
Mutable Elements
Field Description
TokenAnomalyThreshold Scoring threshold for access token entropy, reuse, or bot-like patterns
AccessGeoLocation Region anomalies in SaaS portal access

AN1157

Unauthorized API or console calls to retrieve or reset password credentials, download key material, or modify SSO settings.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
User Account Authentication (DC0002) azure:signinlogs Reset password or download key from portal
Cloud Service Metadata (DC0070) CloudTrail:GetSecretValue API call to retrieve secret or access key
Mutable Elements
Field Description
SSOSettingScope Subset of IdP settings monitored for unauthorized changes
SecretType Which secrets (passwords, keys, tokens) are monitored

AN1158

Access to container image layers or mounted secrets (e.g., Docker secrets) by processes not tied to entrypoint or orchestration context.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
File Access (DC0055) auditd:SYSCALL read of /run/secrets or docker volumes by non-entrypoint process
Process Creation (DC0032) containerd:Events unusual process spawned from container image context
Mutable Elements
Field Description
EntrypointAllowlist Container entrypoints that are permitted to read secrets
VolumeMountPath Paths to credentials/secrets inside container images

AN1159

Use of configuration backup utilities or CLI access to dump plaintext passwords, local user hashes, or SNMP strings.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Command Execution (DC0064) linux:syslog CLI access to 'show running-config', 'show password', or 'cat config.txt'
Network Traffic Content (DC0085) NSM:Flow large transfer from management IPs to unauthorized host
Mutable Elements
Field Description
ManagementInterfaceIPs IP ranges authorized to perform credential dumps
CommandPattern Regex patterns for suspicious CLI commands