| name | T1547_boot-or-logon-autostart-execution |
| description | Adversaries may configure system settings to automatically execute a program during system boot or logon to maintain persistence or gain higher-level privileges on compromised systems. |
| category | configuration |
| version | 18.1 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["mitre-attack","enterprise","t1547","persistence","privilege-escalation","linux","macos","windows","network-devices"] |
| technique_id | T1547 |
| tactic | persistence |
| all_tactics | ["persistence","privilege-escalation"] |
| platforms | ["Linux","macOS","Windows","Network Devices"] |
| mitre_url | https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1547 |
| tech_stack | ["linux","macos","windows","network devices"] |
| cwe_ids | ["CWE-276"] |
| chains_with | ["T1547.001","T1547.002","T1547.003","T1547.004","T1547.005","T1547.006","T1547.007","T1547.008","T1547.009","T1547.010","T1547.012","T1547.013","T1547.014","T1547.015"] |
| prerequisites | [] |
| severity_boost | {"T1547.001":"Chain with T1547.001 for deeper attack path","T1547.002":"Chain with T1547.002 for deeper attack path","T1547.003":"Chain with T1547.003 for deeper attack path"} |
T1547 Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
High-Level Description
Adversaries may configure system settings to automatically execute a program during system boot or logon to maintain persistence or gain higher-level privileges on compromised systems. Operating systems may have mechanisms for automatically running a program on system boot or account logon. These mechanisms may include automatically executing programs that are placed in specially designated directories or are referenced by repositories that store configuration information, such as the Windows Registry. An adversary may achieve the same goal by modifying or extending features of the kernel.
Since some boot or logon autostart programs run with higher privileges, an adversary may leverage these to elevate privileges.
Kill Chain Phase
- Persistence (TA0003)
- Privilege Escalation (TA0004)
Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows, Network Devices
What to Check
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: Add a driver
Install a driver via pnputil.exe lolbin
Supported Platforms: windows
pnputil.exe /add-driver "#{driver_inf}"
Atomic Test 2: Driver Installation Using pnputil.exe
pnputil.exe is a native command-line utility in Windows to install drivers, this can be abused by to install malicious drivers. Ref: https://lolbas-project.github.io/lolbas/Binaries/Pnputil/
Supported Platforms: windows
pnputil.exe -i -a #{driver_path}
Atomic Test 3: Leverage Virtual Channels to execute custom DLL during successful RDP session