| name | T1590.004_network-topology |
| description | Adversaries may gather information about the victim's network topology that can be used during targeting. |
| category | information-gathering |
| version | 18.1 |
| author | cyberstrike-official |
| tags | ["mitre-attack","enterprise","t1590.004","reconnaissance","pre","sub-technique"] |
| technique_id | T1590.004 |
| tactic | reconnaissance |
| all_tactics | ["reconnaissance"] |
| platforms | ["PRE"] |
| mitre_url | https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1590/004 |
| tech_stack | ["pre"] |
| cwe_ids | ["CWE-200"] |
| chains_with | ["T1590","T1590.001","T1590.002","T1590.003","T1590.005","T1590.006"] |
| prerequisites | ["T1590"] |
| severity_boost | {"T1590":"Chain with T1590 for deeper attack path","T1590.001":"Chain with T1590.001 for deeper attack path","T1590.002":"Chain with T1590.002 for deeper attack path"} |
T1590.004 Network Topology
Sub-technique of: T1590
High-Level Description
Adversaries may gather information about the victim's network topology that can be used during targeting. Information about network topologies may include a variety of details, including the physical and/or logical arrangement of both external-facing and internal network environments. This information may also include specifics regarding network devices (gateways, routers, etc.) and other infrastructure.
Adversaries may gather this information in various ways, such as direct collection actions via Active Scanning or Phishing for Information. Information about network topologies may also be exposed to adversaries via online or other accessible data sets (ex: Search Victim-Owned Websites). Gathering this information may reveal opportunities for other forms of reconnaissance (ex: Search Open Technical Databases or Search Open Websites/Domains), establishing operational resources (ex: Acquire Infrastructure or Compromise Infrastructure), and/or initial access (ex: External Remote Services).
Kill Chain Phase
Platforms: PRE
What to Check
How to Test
Manual Testing
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Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Network Topology by examining the target platforms (PRE).
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Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1590.004 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.
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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
M1056 Pre-compromise
This technique cannot be easily mitigated with preventive controls since it is based on behaviors performed outside of the scope of enterprise defenses and controls. Efforts should focus on minimizing the amount and sensitivity of data available to external parties.