t1059-002-applescript

name	T1059.002_applescript
description	Adversaries may abuse AppleScript for execution.
category	input-validation
version	18.1
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["mitre-attack","enterprise","t1059.002","execution","macos","sub-technique"]
technique_id	T1059.002
tactic	execution
all_tactics	["execution"]
platforms	["macOS"]
mitre_url	https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/002
tech_stack	["macos"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-94"]
chains_with	["T1059","T1059.001","T1059.003","T1059.004","T1059.005","T1059.006","T1059.007","T1059.008","T1059.009","T1059.010","T1059.011","T1059.012","T1059.013"]
prerequisites	["T1059"]
severity_boost	{"T1059":"Chain with T1059 for deeper attack path","T1059.001":"Chain with T1059.001 for deeper attack path","T1059.003":"Chain with T1059.003 for deeper attack path"}

T1059.002 AppleScript

Sub-technique of: T1059

High-Level Description

Adversaries may abuse AppleScript for execution. AppleScript is a macOS scripting language designed to control applications and parts of the OS via inter-application messages called AppleEvents. These AppleEvent messages can be sent independently or easily scripted with AppleScript. These events can locate open windows, send keystrokes, and interact with almost any open application locally or remotely.

Scripts can be run from the command-line via osascript /path/to/script or osascript -e "script here". Aside from the command line, scripts can be executed in numerous ways including Mail rules, Calendar.app alarms, and Automator workflows. AppleScripts can also be executed as plain text shell scripts by adding #!/usr/bin/osascript to the start of the script file.

AppleScripts do not need to call osascript to execute. However, they may be executed from within mach-O binaries by using the macOS Native APIs NSAppleScript or OSAScript, both of which execute code independent of the /usr/bin/osascript command line utility.

Adversaries may abuse AppleScript to execute various behaviors, such as interacting with an open SSH connection, moving to remote machines, and even presenting users with fake dialog boxes. These events cannot start applications remotely (they can start them locally), but they can interact with applications if they're already running remotely. On macOS 10.10 Yosemite and higher, AppleScript has the ability to execute Native APIs, which otherwise would require compilation and execution in a mach-O binary file format. Since this is a scripting language, it can be used to launch more common techniques as well such as a reverse shell via Python.

Kill Chain Phase

• Execution (TA0002)

Platforms: macOS

What to Check

• Identify if AppleScript technique is applicable to target environment
• Check macOS systems for indicators of AppleScript
• Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (2 known mitigations)
• 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: