cyberstrikeus T1652 Device Driver Discovery
High-Level Description
Adversaries may attempt to enumerate local device drivers on a victim host. Information about device drivers may highlight various insights that shape follow-on behaviors, such as the function/purpose of the host, present security tools (i.e. Security Software Discovery) or other defenses (e.g., Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion), as well as potential exploitable vulnerabilities (e.g., Exploitation for Privilege Escalation).
Many OS utilities may provide information about local device drivers, such as driverquery.exe and the EnumDeviceDrivers() API function on Windows. Information about device drivers (as well as associated services, i.e., System Service Discovery) may also be available in the Registry.
On Linux/macOS, device drivers (in the form of kernel modules) may be visible within /dev or using utilities such as lsmod and modinfo.
Kill Chain Phase
- Discovery (TA0007)
Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows
What to Check
- Identify if Device Driver Discovery technique is applicable to target environment
- Check Linux systems for indicators of Device Driver Discovery
- Check macOS systems for indicators of Device Driver Discovery
- Check Windows systems for indicators of Device Driver Discovery
- Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)
How to Test
Atomic Red Team Tests
The following tests are from Atomic Red Team and provide actionable ways to test this technique:
Atomic Test 1: Device Driver Discovery
Displays a list of installed device drivers on the local computer and their properties. Threat actors use this command to enumerate the existing drivers on the computer. Parameters: /v /fo list - Displays verbose output in a list format - the /v parameter is not valid for signed drivers /si /fo list - Provides information about signed drivers and outputs it in a list format
Supported Platforms: windows
driverquery /v /fo list
driverquery /si /fo list
Atomic Test 2: Device Driver Discovery (Linux)
Displays a list of loaded kernel modules on a Linux system, which is used to enumerate drivers.
Supported Platforms: linux
lsmod
Atomic Test 3: Enumerate Kernel Driver Files (Linux)
Finds and lists all kernel driver files on a Linux system in order to provide a broader view of available drivers, not just loaded ones.
Supported Platforms: linux
find /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/kernel/drivers -name "*.ko*"
Atomic Test 4: List loaded kernel extensions (macOS)
Displays a list of loaded kernel extensions (kexts) on a macOS system.
Supported Platforms: macos
kextstat
Atomic Test 5: Find Kernel Extensions (macOS)
Searches for kernel extension (kext) files on a macOS system.
Supported Platforms: macos
kextfind
Manual Testing
If Atomic Red Team tests are not applicable, manually verify the technique by:
Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Device Driver Discovery by examining the target platforms (Linux, macOS, Windows).
Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1652 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.
Remediation Guide
No specific mitigations documented for this technique.
Detection
Detection Strategy for Device Driver Discovery
Risk Assessment
| Finding | Severity | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Device Driver Discovery technique applicable | High | Discovery |
CWE Categories
| CWE ID | Title |
|---|---|
| CWE-200 | Exposure of Sensitive Information |