cyberstrikeus T1590.002 DNS
Sub-technique of: T1590
High-Level Description
Adversaries may gather information about the victim's DNS that can be used during targeting. DNS information may include a variety of details, including registered name servers as well as records that outline addressing for a target’s subdomains, mail servers, and other hosts. DNS MX, TXT, and SPF records may also reveal the use of third party cloud and SaaS providers, such as Office 365, G Suite, Salesforce, or Zendesk.
Adversaries may gather this information in various ways, such as querying or otherwise collecting details via DNS/Passive DNS. DNS information may also be exposed to adversaries via online or other accessible data sets (ex: Search Open Technical Databases). Gathering this information may reveal opportunities for other forms of reconnaissance (ex: Search Open Technical Databases, Search Open Websites/Domains, or Active Scanning), establishing operational resources (ex: Acquire Infrastructure or Compromise Infrastructure), and/or initial access (ex: External Remote Services).
Adversaries may also use DNS zone transfer (DNS query type AXFR) to collect all records from a misconfigured DNS server.
Kill Chain Phase
- Reconnaissance (TA0043)
Platforms: PRE
What to Check
- Identify if DNS technique is applicable to target environment
- Check PRE systems for indicators of DNS
- Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (1 known mitigations)
- Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)
How to Test
Manual Testing
Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to DNS by examining the target platforms (PRE).
Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1590.002 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.
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
M1054 Software Configuration
Consider implementing policies for DNS servers, such as Zone Transfer Policies, that enforce a list of validated servers permitted for zone transfers.
Detection
Detection of DNS
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| DNS technique applicable | Low | Reconnaissance |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|---|
| CWE-200 | Exposure of Sensitive Information |