# Attack Ent T1564 006 Run Virtual Instance > Analyze MITRE ATT&CK T1564.006 Run Virtual Instance in the enterprise matrix. Use for TTP triage, detection engineering, hunting, defensive emulation planning, mitigations, incident response mapping, ATT&CK coverage, or questions mentioning T1564.006, Run Virtual Instance, or enterprise ATT&CK. Adversaries may carry out malicious operations using a virtual instance to avoid detection. - Skill: `santosomar/attack-ent-t1564-006-run-virtual-instance` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 11 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add santosomar/attack-ent-t1564-006-run-virtual-instance` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/santosomar/attack-ent-t1564-006-run-virtual-instance/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - License: MITRE ATT&CK Terms of Use apply to ATT&CK-derived content. See h - Author: santosomar (https://skillmd.com/u/santosomar) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/santosomar/attack-ent-t1564-006-run-virtual-instance --- # MITRE ATT&CK T1564.006: Run Virtual Instance ## When to use this skill Use this skill when the task involves T1564.006, Run Virtual Instance, enterprise ATT&CK, TTP mapping, detection engineering, hunting, incident-response enrichment, control validation, or authorized adversary-emulation planning. Treat it as a defensive analysis aid: keep outputs focused on understanding, detecting, mitigating, and safely validating this ATT&CK sub-technique. ## Technique context - ATT&CK domain: enterprise - ATT&CK ID: T1564.006 - Technique name: Run Virtual Instance - Type: sub-technique - ATT&CK URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1564/006 - Tactics: stealth - Platforms: ESXi, Linux, macOS, Windows - Required permissions: Not specified - Effective permissions: Not specified - Defenses bypassed: Not specified ## ATT&CK description Adversaries may carry out malicious operations using a virtual instance to avoid detection. A wide variety of virtualization technologies exist that allow for the emulation of a computer or computing environment. By running malicious code inside of a virtual instance, adversaries can hide artifacts associated with their behavior from security tools that are unable to monitor activity inside the virtual instance.(Citation: CyberCX Akira Ransomware) Additionally, depending on the virtual networking implementation (ex: bridged adapter), network traffic generated by the virtual instance can be difficult to trace back to the compromised host as the IP address and hostname might not match known values.(Citation: SingHealth Breach Jan 2019) Adversaries may utilize native support for virtualization (ex: Hyper-V), deploy lightweight emulators (ex: QEMU), or drop the necessary files to run a virtual instance (ex: VirtualBox binaries).(Citation: Securonix CronTrap 2024) After running a virtual instance, adversaries may create a shared folder between the guest and host with permissions that enable the virtual instance to interact with the host file system.(Citation: Sophos Ragnar May 2020) Threat actors may also leverage temporary virtualized environments such as the Windows Sandbox, which supports the use of `.wsb` configuration files for defining execution parameters. For example, the `` property supports the creation of a shared folder, while the `` property allows the specification of a payload.(Citation: ESET MirrorFace 2025)(Citation: ITOCHU Hack the Sandbox)(Citation: ITOCHU Sandbox PPT) In VMWare environments, adversaries may leverage the vCenter console to create new virtual machines. However, they may also create virtual machines directly on ESXi servers by running a valid `.vmx` file with the `/bin/vmx` utility. Adding this command to `/etc/rc.local.d/local.sh` (i.e., [RC Scripts](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1037/004)) will cause the VM to persistently restart.(Citation: vNinja Rogue VMs 2024) Creating a VM this way prevents it from appearing in the vCenter console or in the output to the `vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms` command on the ESXi server, thereby hiding it from typical administrative activities.(Citation: MITRE VMware Abuse 2024) ## Agent workflow 1. Clarify scope: identify the system, asset class, log sources, cloud or endpoint platform, and whether the user wants triage, detection, coverage assessment, or safe emulation planning. 2. Load bundled resources as needed: use `references/technique-profile.json` for structured metadata, `references/detection-and-mitigation.md` for triage and telemetry guidance, `references/known-threat-context.md` for ATT&CK relationship context, and `templates/` for repeatable outputs. 3. Map observations to ATT&CK: compare the user's evidence to the ATT&CK description, tactics, platforms, and known procedure patterns before asserting a match. 4. Produce defensive outputs: prioritize hypotheses, telemetry requirements, detection logic ideas, validation steps, containment guidance, and mitigations. 5. Preserve uncertainty: distinguish confirmed evidence, plausible indicators, assumptions, and gaps. Recommend what to collect next. 6. Stay safe: do not provide malware, credential theft, persistence, evasion, destructive automation, or unauthorized exploitation instructions. For adversary emulation, keep steps bounded to approved lab or control-validation contexts and omit operational abuse details. ## Bundled resources - `references/technique-profile.json`: machine-readable ATT&CK metadata for this technique. - `references/detection-and-mitigation.md`: detection notes, telemetry checklist, triage questions, mitigation candidates, and false-positive considerations. - `references/known-threat-context.md`: ATT&CK relationship context with attribution cautions. - `templates/detection-brief.md`: detection engineering brief template. - `templates/hunt-plan.md`: threat hunt plan template. - `templates/incident-response-note.md`: incident response note template. - `templates/coverage-assessment.md`: ATT&CK coverage assessment template. - `scripts/render_brief.py`: local helper that renders a Markdown defensive brief from `technique-profile.json`. - `assets/output-schema.json`: JSON schema for structured technique analysis outputs. To generate a quick brief, run `python scripts/render_brief.py --output brief.md` from inside this skill directory, or adapt the templates directly. ## Detection guidance No ATT&CK detection guidance was present in the source STIX object. ## Useful telemetry and data sources - Not specified in the STIX object. ## Mitigations to consider - Audit - Disable or Remove Feature or Program - Execution Prevention ## Known threat context Use these examples only as contextual leads, not as proof that an observed event is this technique: - LoudMiner (malware) - Maze (malware) - Ragnar Locker (malware) ## Recommended output pattern When responding with this skill, structure the answer as: - Assessment: whether the evidence supports this ATT&CK mapping and why. - Evidence: specific indicators, logs, behaviors, and assumptions. - Detection: telemetry sources, analytic logic, and tuning considerations. - Response: containment, eradication, recovery, and validation actions. - Coverage gaps: missing logs, sensors, controls, or environmental details. - References: include the ATT&CK URL and any user-provided evidence references. ## ATT&CK contributors - Enis Aksu - Janantha Marasinghe - Jiraput Thamsongkrah - Johann Rehberger - Menachem Shafran, XM Cyber - Natthawut Saexu - Purinut Wongwaiwuttiguldej - Satoshi Kamekawa, ITOCHU Cyber & Intelligence Inc. - Shuhei Sasada, ITOCHU Cyber & Intelligence Inc. - Yusuke Niwa, ITOCHU Cyber & Intelligence Inc.