1200KM / simulation
T1218.005 Mshta — Attack Simulation
Adversaries may abuse mshta.exe to proxy execution of malicious .hta files and Javascript or VBScript through a trusted Windows utility. There are several examples of different types of threats leveraging mshta.exe during initial compromise and for execution of code Mshta.exe is a utility that executes Microsoft HTML Applications (HTA) files. HTAs are standalone applications that execute using the same models and technologies of Internet…
Technique description
Adversaries may abuse mshta.exe to proxy execution of malicious .hta files and Javascript or VBScript through a trusted Windows utility. There are several examples of different types of threats leveraging mshta.exe during initial compromise and for execution of code Mshta.exe is a utility that executes Microsoft HTML Applications (HTA) files. HTAs are standalone applications that execute using the same models and technologies of Internet…
At least one platform-compatible Atomic procedure is documented. Individual review, lab prerequisites, and validation remain required.
Official ATT&CK definition · Detection rules and anomaly models
Documented simulation candidates
- Invoke HTML Application - Jscript Engine over Local UNC Simulating Lateral Movement
Procedure 007e5672-2088-4853-a562-7490ddc19447; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
- Mshta executes JavaScript Scheme Fetch Remote Payload With GetObject
Procedure 1483fab9-4f52-4217-a9ce-daa9d7747cae; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
- Invoke HTML Application - Direct download from URI
Procedure 39ceed55-f653-48ac-bd19-aceceaf525db; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
- Invoke HTML Application - Jscript Engine Simulating Double Click
Procedure 58a193ec-131b-404e-b1ca-b35cf0b18c33; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
- Mshta used to Execute PowerShell
Procedure 8707a805-2b76-4f32-b1c0-14e558205772; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
- Mshta executes VBScript to execute malicious command
Procedure 906865c3-e05f-4acc-85c4-fbc185455095; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
- Invoke HTML Application - Simulate Lateral Movement over UNC Path
Procedure b8a8bdb2-7eae-490d-8251-d5e0295b2362; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
- Mshta Executes Remote HTML Application (HTA)
Procedure c4b97eeb-5249-4455-a607-59f95485cb45; elevation not declared required; cleanup present, not reviewed. Not executed or individually validated.
- Invoke HTML Application - JScript Engine with Inline Protocol Handler
Procedure d3eaaf6a-cdb1-44a9-9ede-b6c337d0d840; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
- Invoke HTML Application - JScript Engine with Rundll32 and Inline Protocol Handler
Procedure e7e3a525-7612-4d68-a5d3-c4649181b8af; elevation not declared required; cleanup not declared. Not executed or individually validated.
Connected ecosystem references
Linked tags
Detection and collection
Attack tools
Threat actor context
These are explicit actor-to-technique associations in the existing Threat Matrix snapshot, not attribution of an event or proof that a detector identifies the actor. No tool-to-actor relationship is inferred.
Existing research
Pinned research references. No browser attack runner, live simulation result or validated detector is asserted. Source mappings and validation limits are preserved. ATT&CK / Atomic provenance · Detection provenance.