t1598-002-spearphishing-attachment

name	T1598.002_spearphishing-attachment
description	Adversaries may send spearphishing messages with a malicious attachment to elicit sensitive information that can be used during targeting.
category	information-gathering
version	18.1
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["mitre-attack","enterprise","t1598.002","reconnaissance","pre","sub-technique"]
technique_id	T1598.002
tactic	reconnaissance
all_tactics	["reconnaissance"]
platforms	["PRE"]
mitre_url	https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1598/002
tech_stack	["pre"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-200"]
chains_with	["T1598","T1598.001","T1598.003","T1598.004"]
prerequisites	["T1598"]
severity_boost	{"T1598":"Chain with T1598 for deeper attack path","T1598.001":"Chain with T1598.001 for deeper attack path","T1598.003":"Chain with T1598.003 for deeper attack path"}

T1598.002 Spearphishing Attachment

Sub-technique of: T1598

High-Level Description

Adversaries may send spearphishing messages with a malicious attachment to elicit sensitive information that can be used during targeting. Spearphishing for information is an attempt to trick targets into divulging information, frequently credentials or other actionable information. Spearphishing for information frequently involves social engineering techniques, such as posing as a source with a reason to collect information (ex: Establish Accounts or Compromise Accounts) and/or sending multiple, seemingly urgent messages.

All forms of spearphishing are electronically delivered social engineering targeted at a specific individual, company, or industry. In this scenario, adversaries attach a file to the spearphishing email. In some cases, they may rely upon the recipient populating information, then returning the file. The text of the spearphishing email usually tries to give a plausible reason why the file should be filled-in, such as a request for information from a business associate. In other cases, adversaries may leverage techniques such as HTML Smuggling to harvest user credentials via fake login portals.

Adversaries may also use information from previous reconnaissance efforts (ex: Search Open Websites/Domains or Search Victim-Owned Websites) to craft persuasive and believable lures.

Kill Chain Phase

• Reconnaissance (TA0043)

Platforms: PRE

What to Check

• Identify if Spearphishing Attachment technique is applicable to target environment
• Check PRE systems for indicators of Spearphishing Attachment
• 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 Spearphishing Attachment by examining the target platforms (PRE).

2. Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1598.002 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 for updates.