T1134.003_make-and-impersonate-token

T1134.003 Make and Impersonate Token

Sub-technique of: T1134

High-Level Description

Adversaries may make new tokens and impersonate users to escalate privileges and bypass access controls. For example, if an adversary has a username and password but the user is not logged onto the system the adversary can then create a logon session for the user using the LogonUser function. The function will return a copy of the new session's access token and the adversary can use SetThreadToken to assign the token to a thread.

This behavior is distinct from Token Impersonation/Theft in that this refers to creating a new user token instead of stealing or duplicating an existing one.

Kill Chain Phase

• Defense Evasion (TA0005)
• Privilege Escalation (TA0004)

Platforms: Windows

What to Check

• Identify if Make and Impersonate Token technique is applicable to target environment
• Check Windows systems for indicators of Make and Impersonate Token
• Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (2 known mitigations)
• Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)

How to Test

Manual Testing

1. Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Make and Impersonate Token by examining the target platforms (Windows).

2. Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1134.003 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.

3. Execute Test: Use tools and methods described in the MITRE ATT&CK page and external references below.

Note: No Atomic Red Team tests available for this technique. See Atomic Red Team GitHub for updates.

Remediation Guide

M1026 Privileged Account Management

Limit permissions so that users and user groups cannot create tokens. This setting should be defined for the local system account only. GPO: Computer Configuration > [Policies] > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment: Create a token object. Also define who can create a process level token to only the local and network service through GPO: Computer Configuration > [Policies] > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment: Replace a process level token.

Administrators should log in as a standard user but run their tools with administrator privileges using the built-in access token manipulation command runas.

M1018 User Account Management

An adversary must already have administrator level access on the local system to make full use of this technique; be sure to restrict users and accounts to the least privileges they require.

Detection

Behavior‑chain detection for T1134.003 Make and Impersonate Token (Windows)

Risk Assessment

CWE Categories

References

• Microsoft Command-line Logging
• LogonUserW function
• Atomic Red Team - T1134.003
• MITRE ATT&CK - T1134.003