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Peripheral Device Discovery

Adversaries may attempt to gather information about attached peripheral devices and components connected to a computer system.[1][2] Peripheral devices could include auxiliary resources that support a variety of functionalities such as keyboards, printers, cameras, smart card readers, or removable storage. The information may be used to enhance their awareness of the system and network environment or may be used for further actions.

ID: T1120
Sub-techniques:  No sub-techniques
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Tactic: Discovery
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Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS
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Permissions Required: Administrator, SYSTEM, User
Version: 1.3
Created: 31 May 2017
Last Modified: 30 March 2023
Version Permalink

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S0045 ADVSTORESHELL

ADVSTORESHELL can list connected devices.[3]
G0007 APT28

APT28 uses a module to receive a notification every time a USB mass storage device is inserted into a victim.[4]
G0067 APT37

APT37 has a Bluetooth device harvester, which uses Windows Bluetooth APIs to find information on connected Bluetooth devices. [5]
S0438 Attor

Attor has a plugin that collects information about inserted storage devices, modems, and phone devices.[6]
G0135 BackdoorDiplomacy

BackdoorDiplomacy has used an executable to detect removable media, such as USB flash drives.[7]
S0128 BADNEWS

BADNEWS checks for new hard drives on the victim, such as USB devices, by listening for the WM_DEVICECHANGE window message.[8][9]
S0234 Bandook

Bandook can detect USB devices.[10]
S0089 BlackEnergy

BlackEnergy can gather very specific information about attached USB devices, to include device instance ID and drive geometry.[11]
S0454 Cadelspy

Cadelspy has the ability to steal information about printers and the documents sent to printers.[12]
S1149 CHIMNEYSWEEP

CHIMNEYSWEEP can monitor for removable drives.[13]
S0115 Crimson

Crimson has the ability to discover pluggable/removable drives to extract files from.[14][15]
S0538 Crutch

Crutch can monitor for removable drives being plugged into the compromised machine.[16]
S0673 DarkWatchman

DarkWatchman can list signed PnP drivers for smartcard readers.[17]
S0062 DustySky

DustySky can detect connected USB devices.[18]
G0020 Equation

Equation has used tools with the functionality to search for specific information about the attached hard drive that could be used to identify and overwrite the firmware.[19]
S0679 Ferocious

Ferocious can run GET.WORKSPACE in Microsoft Excel to check if a mouse is present.[20]
S0381 FlawedAmmyy

FlawedAmmyy will attempt to detect if a usable smart card is current inserted into a card reader.[21]
S1044 FunnyDream

The FunnyDream FilepakMonitor component can detect removable drive insertion.[22]
G0047 Gamaredon Group

Gamaredon Group tools have contained an application to check performance of USB flash drives. Gamaredon Group has also used malware to scan for removable drives.[23][24]
S1027 Heyoka Backdoor

Heyoka Backdoor can identify removable media attached to victim's machines.[25]
S1139 INC Ransomware

INC Ransomware can identify external USB and hard drives for encryption and printers to print ransom notes.[26]
S0283 jRAT

jRAT can map UPnP ports.[27]
S0409 Machete

Machete detects the insertion of new devices by listening for the WM_DEVICECHANGE window message.[28]

S1026 Mongall

Mongall can identify removable media attached to compromised hosts.[25]
S0149 MoonWind

MoonWind obtains the number of removable drives from the victim.[29]
S1090 NightClub

NightClub has the ability to monitor removable drives.[30]
S0385 njRAT

njRAT will attempt to detect if the victim system has a camera during the initial infection. njRAT can also detect any removable drives connected to the system.[31][32]
S0644 ObliqueRAT

ObliqueRAT can discover pluggable/removable drives to extract files from.[33]
G0049 OilRig

OilRig has used tools to identify if a mouse is connected to a targeted system.[34]
C0012 Operation CuckooBees

During Operation CuckooBees, the threat actors used the fsutil fsinfo drives command as part of their advanced reconnaissance.[35]
C0014 Operation Wocao

During Operation Wocao, threat actors discovered removable disks attached to a system.[36]
S0113 Prikormka

A module in Prikormka collects information on available printers and disk drives.[37]
S0650 QakBot

QakBot can identify peripheral devices on targeted systems.[38]
S0686 QuietSieve

QuietSieve can identify and search removable drives for specific file name extensions.[39]
S0481 Ragnar Locker

Ragnar Locker may attempt to connect to removable drives and mapped network drives.[40]
S0458 Ramsay

Ramsay can scan for removable media which may contain documents for collection.[41][42]

S1150 ROADSWEEP

ROADSWEEP can identify removable drives attached to the victim's machine.[13]
S0148 RTM

RTM can obtain a list of smart card readers attached to the victim.[43][44]
S1089 SharpDisco

SharpDisco has dropped a plugin to monitor external drives to C:\Users\Public\It3.exe.[30]
S0603 Stuxnet

Stuxnet enumerates removable drives for infection.[45]
S1064 SVCReady

SVCReady can check for the number of devices plugged into an infected host.[46]
S0098 T9000

T9000 searches through connected drives for removable storage devices.[47]
S0467 TajMahal

TajMahal has the ability to identify connected Apple devices.[48]
G0139 TeamTNT

TeamTNT has searched for attached VGA devices using lspci.[49]
S0647 Turian

Turian can scan for removable media to collect data.[7]
G0010 Turla

Turla has used fsutil fsinfo drives to list connected drives.[50]
S0452 USBferry

USBferry can check for connected USB devices.[51]
S0136 USBStealer

USBStealer monitors victims for insertion of removable drives. When dropped onto a second victim, it also enumerates drives connected to the system.[52]
G1017 Volt Typhoon

Volt Typhoon has obtained victim's screen dimension and display device information.[53]
S0366 WannaCry

WannaCry contains a thread that will attempt to scan for new attached drives every few seconds. If one is identified, it will encrypt the files on the attached device.[54]
S0612 WastedLocker

WastedLocker can enumerate removable drives prior to the encryption process.[55]
S0251 Zebrocy

Zebrocy enumerates information about connected storage devices.[56]

Mitigations

This type of attack technique cannot be easily mitigated with preventive controls since it is based on the abuse of system features.

Detection

ID Data Source Data Component Detects
DS0017 Command Command Execution

Monitor executed commands and arguments that may attempt to gather information about attached peripheral devices and components connected to a computer system.
DS0009 Process OS API Execution

Monitor for API calls that may attempt to gather information about attached peripheral devices and components connected to a computer system.
Process Creation

Monitor for newly executed processes that may attempt to gather information about attached peripheral devices and components connected to a computer system.

References

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  2. SS64. (n.d.). system_profiler. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  3. ESET. (2016, October). En Route with Sednit - Part 2: Observing the Comings and Goings. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  4. Anthe, C. et al. (2015, October 19). Microsoft Security Intelligence Report Volume 19. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  5. GReAT. (2019, May 13). ScarCruft continues to evolve, introduces Bluetooth harvester. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  6. Hromcova, Z. (2019, October). AT COMMANDS, TOR-BASED COMMUNICATIONS: MEET ATTOR, A FANTASY CREATURE AND ALSO A SPY PLATFORM. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  7. Adam Burgher. (2021, June 10). BackdoorDiplomacy: Upgrading from Quarian to Turian. Retrieved September 1, 2021
  8. Settle, A., et al. (2016, August 8). MONSOON - Analysis Of An APT Campaign. Retrieved September 22, 2016.
  9. Lunghi, D., et al. (2017, December). Untangling the Patchwork Cyberespionage Group. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
  10. Galperin, E., Et al.. (2016, August). I Got a Letter From the Government the Other Day.... Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  11. Baumgartner, K. and Garnaeva, M.. (2014, November 3). BE2 custom plugins, router abuse, and target profiles. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  12. Symantec Security Response. (2015, December 7). Iran-based attackers use back door threats to spy on Middle Eastern targets. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  13. Jenkins, L. at al. (2022, August 4). ROADSWEEP Ransomware - Likely Iranian Threat Actor Conducts Politically Motivated Disruptive Activity Against Albanian Government Organizations. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  14. Huss, D. (2016, March 1). Operation Transparent Tribe. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  15. Dedola, G. (2020, August 20). Transparent Tribe: Evolution analysis, part 1. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  16. Faou, M. (2020, December 2). Turla Crutch: Keeping the “back door” open. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  17. Smith, S., Stafford, M. (2021, December 14). DarkWatchman: A new evolution in fileless techniques. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  18. GReAT. (2019, April 10). Gaza Cybergang Group1, operation SneakyPastes. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  19. Kaspersky Lab's Global Research and Analysis Team. (2015, February). Equation Group: Questions and Answers. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  20. Yamout, M. (2021, November 29). WIRTE’s campaign in the Middle East ‘living off the land’ since at least 2019. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  21. Proofpoint Staff. (2018, March 7). Leaked Ammyy Admin Source Code Turned into Malware. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  22. Vrabie, V. (2020, November). Dissecting a Chinese APT Targeting South Eastern Asian Government Institutions. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  23. Kasza, A. and Reichel, D. (2017, February 27). The Gamaredon Group Toolset Evolution. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  24. Boutin, J. (2020, June 11). Gamaredon group grows its game. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  25. Chen, Joey. (2022, June 9). Aoqin Dragon | Newly-Discovered Chinese-linked APT Has Been Quietly Spying On Organizations For 10 Years. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  26. Cybereason Security Research Team. (2023, November 20). Threat Alert: INC Ransomware. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  27. Kamluk, V. & Gostev, A. (2016, February). Adwind - A Cross-Platform RAT. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  28. ESET. (2019, July). MACHETE JUST GOT SHARPER Venezuelan government institutions under attack. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  1. Miller-Osborn, J. and Grunzweig, J.. (2017, March 30). Trochilus and New MoonWind RATs Used In Attack Against Thai Organizations. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
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  4. Pascual, C. (2018, November 27). AutoIt-Compiled Worm Affecting Removable Media Delivers Fileless Version of BLADABINDI/njRAT Backdoor. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
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