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This page is part of Threat Matrix, the public browser workspace for the main AdversaryGraph platform. Use it for ATT&CK pivots, actor and technique context, similarity leads, detection coverage review, and analyst-ready investigation paths.

Validation disclaimer: TTP overlap, actor similarity, generated summaries, and coverage findings are investigation leads, not attribution proof or operational validation without analyst review.

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T1090 · command-and-control · 15 actors · 3 correlated reports

Proxy

Adversaries may use a connection proxy to direct network traffic between systems or act as an intermediary for network communications to a command and control server to avoid direct connections to their infrastructure. Many tools exist that enable traffic redirection through proxies or port redirection, including HTRAN, ZXProxy, and ZXPortMap. Adversaries use these types of proxies to manage command and control communications, reduce the number of simultaneous outbound network connections, provide resiliency in the face of connection loss, or to ride over existing trusted communications paths between victims to avoid suspicion. Adversaries may chain together multiple proxies to further disguise the source of malicious traffic. Adversaries can also take advantage of routing schemes in Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to proxy command and control traffic.

Open detection, hunting, mitigation, and evidence workspace

Detection logic

Analyze network data for uncommon data flows (e.g., a client sending significantly more data than it receives from a server or between clients that should not or often do not communicate with one another). Processes utilizing the network that do not normally have network communication or have never been seen before are suspicious. Analyze packet contents to detect communications that do not follow the expected protocol behavior for the port that is being used. Consider monitoring for traffic to known anonymity networks (such as Tor).

Observed actors

Correlated CTI and IR reports

Cyber Knowledge context

Use these routes to move from the ATT&CK behavior into explanation, implementation, evidence handling, validation, and defensive operations. Relevance is generated from explicit identifiers/names and governed topic mappings; it is not attribution evidence.

MITRE mitigations

M1037 · Filter Network Traffic

Employ network appliances and endpoint software to filter ingress, egress, and lateral network traffic. This includes protocol-based filtering, enforcing firewall rules, and blocking or restricting traffic based on predefined conditions to limit adversary movement and data exfiltration. This mitigation can be implemented through the following measures: Ingress Traffic Filtering: - Use Case: Configure network firewalls to allow traffic only from authorized IP addresses to public-facing servers. - Implementation: Limit SSH (port 22) and RDP (port 3389) traffic to specific IP ranges. Egress Traffic Filtering: - Use Case: Use firewalls or endpoint security software to block unauthorized outbound traffic to prevent data exfiltration and command-and-control (C2) communications. - Implementation: Block outbound traffic to known malicious IPs or regions where communication is unexpected. Protoc…

MITRE mitigation source
M1031 · Network Intrusion Prevention

Use intrusion detection signatures to block traffic at network boundaries.

MITRE mitigation source
M1020 · SSL/TLS Inspection

SSL/TLS inspection involves decrypting encrypted network traffic to examine its content for signs of malicious activity. This capability is crucial for detecting threats that use encryption to evade detection, such as phishing, malware, or data exfiltration. After inspection, the traffic is re-encrypted and forwarded to its destination. This mitigation can be implemented through the following measures: Deploy SSL/TLS Inspection Appliances: - Implement SSL/TLS inspection solutions to decrypt and inspect encrypted traffic. - Ensure appliances are placed at critical network choke points for maximum coverage. Configure Decryption Policies: - Define rules to decrypt traffic for specific applications, ports, or domains. - Avoid decrypting sensitive or privacy-related traffic, such as financial or healthcare websites, to comply with regulations. Integrate Threat Intelligence: - Use threat inte…

MITRE mitigation source

MITRE detection strategies and analytics

DET0445 · Detection of Proxy Infrastructure Setup and Traffic Bridging
  • AN1229 · Analytic 1229 — Suspicious process spawning (e.g., `rundll32`, `svchost`, `powershell`, or `netsh`) followed by network connection creation to internal hosts or uncommon external endpoints on high or non-standard ports.
  • AN1230 · Analytic 1230 — User-space tools (e.g., `socat`, `ncat`, `iptables`, `ssh`) used in non-standard ways to establish reverse shells, port-forwarding, or inter-host connections. Often chained with uncommon outbound destinations or SSH tunnels.
  • AN1231 · Analytic 1231 — AppleScript, LaunchAgents, or remote login services (`ssh`, `networksetup`) establishing proxy tunnels or dynamic port forwards to external IPs or alternate local hosts.
  • AN1232 · Analytic 1232 — Direct use of `nc`, `socat`, or reverse tunnel scripts initiated by abnormal user contexts or unauthorized VIBs initiating connections from hypervisor to external systems.
  • AN1233 · Analytic 1233 — Dynamic or static port forwarding rules added to route traffic through an internal host, or configuration changes to proxy firewall rules not aligned with baselined policy.
MITRE detection source

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