t1087-account-discovery

name	T1087_account-discovery
description	Adversaries may attempt to get a listing of valid accounts, usernames, or email addresses on a system or within a compromised environment.
category	information-gathering
version	18.1
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["mitre-attack","enterprise","t1087","discovery","esxi","iaas","identity-provider","linux","macos","office-suite","saas","windows"]
technique_id	T1087
tactic	discovery
all_tactics	["discovery"]
platforms	["ESXi","IaaS","Identity Provider","Linux","macOS","Office Suite","SaaS","Windows"]
mitre_url	https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1087
tech_stack	["esxi","cloud","identity","linux","macos","office","saas","windows"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-200"]
chains_with	["T1087.001","T1087.002","T1087.003","T1087.004"]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{"T1087.001":"Chain with T1087.001 for deeper attack path","T1087.002":"Chain with T1087.002 for deeper attack path","T1087.003":"Chain with T1087.003 for deeper attack path"}

T1087 Account Discovery

High-Level Description

Adversaries may attempt to get a listing of valid accounts, usernames, or email addresses on a system or within a compromised environment. This information can help adversaries determine which accounts exist, which can aid in follow-on behavior such as brute-forcing, spear-phishing attacks, or account takeovers (e.g., Valid Accounts).

Adversaries may use several methods to enumerate accounts, including abuse of existing tools, built-in commands, and potential misconfigurations that leak account names and roles or permissions in the targeted environment.

For examples, cloud environments typically provide easily accessible interfaces to obtain user lists. On hosts, adversaries can use default PowerShell and other command line functionality to identify accounts. Information about email addresses and accounts may also be extracted by searching an infected system’s files.

Kill Chain Phase

• Discovery (TA0007)

Platforms: ESXi, IaaS, Identity Provider, Linux, macOS, Office Suite, SaaS, Windows

What to Check

• Identify if Account Discovery technique is applicable to target environment
• Check ESXi systems for indicators of Account Discovery
• Check IaaS systems for indicators of Account Discovery
• Check Identity Provider systems for indicators of Account Discovery
• 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 Account Discovery by examining the target platforms (ESXi, IaaS, Identity Provider).

2. Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1087 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