t1496-002-bandwidth-hijacking

name	T1496.002_bandwidth-hijacking
description	Adversaries may leverage the network bandwidth resources of co-opted systems to complete resource-intensive tasks, which may impact system and/or hosted service availability.
category	business-logic
version	18.1
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["mitre-attack","enterprise","t1496.002","impact","linux","windows","macos","iaas","containers","sub-technique"]
technique_id	T1496.002
tactic	impact
all_tactics	["impact"]
platforms	["Linux","Windows","macOS","IaaS","Containers"]
mitre_url	https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1496/002
tech_stack	["linux","windows","macos","cloud","containers"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-400"]
chains_with	["T1496","T1496.001","T1496.003","T1496.004"]
prerequisites	["T1496"]
severity_boost	{"T1496":"Chain with T1496 for deeper attack path","T1496.001":"Chain with T1496.001 for deeper attack path","T1496.003":"Chain with T1496.003 for deeper attack path"}

T1496.002 Bandwidth Hijacking

Sub-technique of: T1496

High-Level Description

Adversaries may leverage the network bandwidth resources of co-opted systems to complete resource-intensive tasks, which may impact system and/or hosted service availability.

Adversaries may also use malware that leverages a system's network bandwidth as part of a botnet in order to facilitate Network Denial of Service campaigns and/or to seed malicious torrents. Alternatively, they may engage in proxyjacking by selling use of the victims' network bandwidth and IP address to proxyware services. Finally, they may engage in internet-wide scanning in order to identify additional targets for compromise.

In addition to incurring potential financial costs or availability disruptions, this technique may cause reputational damage if a victim’s bandwidth is used for illegal activities.

Kill Chain Phase

• Impact (TA0040)

Platforms: Linux, Windows, macOS, IaaS, Containers

What to Check

• Identify if Bandwidth Hijacking technique is applicable to target environment
• Check Linux systems for indicators of Bandwidth Hijacking
• Check Windows systems for indicators of Bandwidth Hijacking
• Check macOS systems for indicators of Bandwidth Hijacking
• Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)

How to Test

Manual Testing

1. Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Bandwidth Hijacking by examining the target platforms (Linux, Windows, macOS).

2. Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1496.002 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 Atomic Red Team GitHub for updates.

Remediation Guide

No specific mitigations documented for this technique.

Detection

Detect Excessive or Unauthorized Bandwidth Usage for Botnet, Proxyjacking, or Scanning Purposes