t1016-001-internet-connection-discovery

name	T1016.001_internet-connection-discovery
description	Adversaries may check for Internet connectivity on compromised systems.
category	information-gathering
version	18.1
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["mitre-attack","enterprise","t1016.001","discovery","windows","linux","macos","esxi","sub-technique"]
technique_id	T1016.001
tactic	discovery
all_tactics	["discovery"]
platforms	["Windows","Linux","macOS","ESXi"]
mitre_url	https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1016/001
tech_stack	["windows","linux","macos","esxi"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-200"]
chains_with	["T1016","T1016.002"]
prerequisites	["T1016"]
severity_boost	{"T1016":"Chain with T1016 for deeper attack path","T1016.002":"Chain with T1016.002 for deeper attack path"}

T1016.001 Internet Connection Discovery

Sub-technique of: T1016

High-Level Description

Adversaries may check for Internet connectivity on compromised systems. This may be performed during automated discovery and can be accomplished in numerous ways such as using Ping, tracert, and GET requests to websites, or performing initial speed testing to confirm bandwidth.

Adversaries may use the results and responses from these requests to determine if the system is capable of communicating with their C2 servers before attempting to connect to them. The results may also be used to identify routes, redirectors, and proxy servers.

Kill Chain Phase

• Discovery (TA0007)

Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, ESXi

What to Check

• Identify if Internet Connection Discovery technique is applicable to target environment
• Check Windows systems for indicators of Internet Connection Discovery
• Check Linux systems for indicators of Internet Connection Discovery
• Check macOS systems for indicators of Internet Connection 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: Check internet connection using ping Windows

Check internet connection using ping on Windows. The default target of the ping is 8.8.8.8 (Google Public DNS).

Supported Platforms: windows

ping -n 4 #{ping_target}

Atomic Test 2: Check internet connection using ping freebsd, linux or macos

Check internet connection using ping on Linux, MACOS. The default target of the ping is 8.8.8.8 (Google Public DNS).

Supported Platforms: macos, linux

ping -c 4 #{ping_target}

Atomic Test 3: Check internet connection using Test-NetConnection in PowerShell (ICMP-Ping)

Check internet connection using PowerShell's Test-NetConnection cmdlet and the ICMP/Ping protocol. The default target is 8.8.8.8 (Google Public DNS).