Home/ATT&CK Technique/Invalid Code Signature
ATT&CK Technique

Invalid Code Signature

T1036.001 · stealth

Adversaries may attempt to mimic features of valid code signatures to increase the chance of deceiving a user, analyst, or tool. Code signing provides a level of authenticity on a binary from the developer and a guarantee that the binary has not been tampered with. Adversaries can copy the metadata and signature information from a signed program, then use it as a template for an unsigned program.

Files with invalid code signatures will fail digital signature validation checks, but they may appear more legitimate to users and security tools may improperly handle these files. Unlike Code Signing, this activity will not result in a valid signature.

macOSWindows
◆

Actors Using This

14
commercial_cybercrime_uefi_bootkitBlackLotus
russia_apt_sandwormCaddyWiper
spainCareto / The Mask
chinaDaggerfly
south_koreaDarkhotel
us_israel_joint_offensive_cyber_speculationDuqu / Duqu 2.0
us_israel_joint_offensive_cyber_speculationFlame
chinaGhostEmperor
latin_america_brazilian_organized_cybercrimeGrandoreiro
latin_america_brazilian_organized_cybercrimeGuildma / Astaroth
russia_apt_sandworm_adjacentHermeticWiper
latin_america_brazilian_organized_cybercrimeJavali
latin_america_brazilian_organized_cybercrimeMekotio
latin_america_brazilian_organized_cybercrimeMelcoz
◈

Likely Attack Path

Techniques the same actors pair with this one distinctively - those showing up among actors who use this technique noticeably more than across all actors (lift > 1.15), grouped by kill-chain phase. The × is that lift multiplier; the shared-actor count is in the tooltip. A near-universal technique pairs with everything at baseline, so its list is short by design.
execution same
T1569 · System Services ×4.86
persistence same
T1037.003 · Network Logon Script ×11.33T1037.001 · Logon Script (Windows) ×6.80T1542.001 · System Firmware ×4.86
lateral-movement same
T1080 · Taint Shared Content ×4.72
collection same
T1056.002 · GUI Input Capture ×4.25
impact same
T1488 · Disk Content Wipe ×9.71T1496 · Resource Hijacking ×6.61T1495 · Firmware Corruption ×6.10T1499.004 · Application or System Exploitation ×5.67T1529 · System Shutdown/Reboot ×4.96T1499 · Endpoint Denial of Service ×4.60T1565.001 · Stored Data Manipulation ×3.78T1565.002 · Transmitted Data Manipulation ×3.78
other same
T1027.007 · Dynamic API Resolution ×8.50
▣

Mitigations

1
MITRE ATT&CK mitigations - vendor-agnostic guidance for reducing exposure to this technique.
M1045Code Signing

Code Signing is a security process that ensures the authenticity and integrity of software by digitally signing executables, scripts, and other code artifacts. It prevents untrusted or malicious code from executing by verifying the digital signatures against trusted sources. Code signing protects against tampering, impersonation, and distribution of unauthorized or malicious software, forming a critical defense against supply chain and software exploitation attacks.

Enforce Signed Code Execution
  • Implementation: Configure operating systems (e.g., Windows with AppLocker or Linux with Secure Boot) to allow only signed code to execute.
  • Use Case: Prevent the execution of malicious PowerShell scripts by requiring all scripts to be signed with a trusted certificate.
Vendor-Signed Driver Enforcement
  • Implementation: Enable kernel-mode code signing to ensure that only drivers signed by trusted vendors can be loaded.
  • Use Case: A malicious driver attempting to modify system memory fails to load because it lacks a valid signature.
Certificate Revocation Management
  • Implementation: Use Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) or Certificate Revocation Lists (CRLs) to block certificates associated with compromised or deprecated code.
  • Use Case: A compromised certificate used to sign a malicious update is revoked, preventing further execution of the software.
Third-Party Software Verification
  • Implementation: Require software from external vendors to be signed with valid certificates before deployment.
  • Use Case: An organization only deploys signed and verified third-party software to prevent supply chain attacks.
Script Integrity in CI/CD Pipelines
  • Implementation: Integrate code signing into CI/CD pipelines to sign and verify code artifacts before production release.
  • Use Case: A software company ensures that all production builds are signed, preventing tampered builds from reaching customers. Key Components of Code Signing.
  • Digital Signature Verification: Verifies the authenticity of code by ensuring it was signed by a trusted entity.
  • Certificate Management: Uses Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to manage signing certificates and revocation lists.
  • Enforced Policy for Unsigned Code: Prevents the execution of unsigned or untrusted binaries and scripts.
  • Hash Integrity Check: Confirms that code has not been altered since signing by comparing cryptographic hashes.
◈

Detection Coverage

0/6 layers
Coverage across standard detection surfaces. Rows marked none have no rule of that type mapped. Some are real blind spots worth closing; others are simply not applicable to this technique (e.g. YARA matches malware files, not network behaviour).
Behavioral / log (Sigma) none
Analytics (MITRE CAR) none
Runtime / container (Falco) none
File / malware (YARA) none
Network (Suricata/Snort) none
Vuln scan (Nuclei) none
▣

Comply & Defend

NIST 800-53CM-02, CM-06, IA-09, SI-04, SI-07
D3FEND12 defensive techniques
Intelligence Graph · click any node to traverse
CVETechnique ActorTool Family
drag to reposition · click any node to traverse · button top-right enlarges
External lookups - second-class, for what we don’t hold ourselves
MITRE ATT&CKAtomic Red Teamcar (MITRE)
Vulnerabilities
CISA KEV catalog
CWE weaknesses
CAPEC attack patterns
Package vulnerabilities
Threat intelligence
Threat actors
Tools & malware
ATT&CK techniques
IOCs
Detection & defense
Sigma rules
YARA rules
Atomic Red Team tests
D3FEND countermeasures
Compliance
NIST 800-53
ISO 27001:2022
SOC 2 TSC
PCI-DSS v4.0
CIS Controls v8.1
About
All capabilities
Live statistics
Data sources
Privacy policy
Terms of service
threatengine.sh  ·  Open-source threat intelligence platform  ·  100+ authoritative sources  ·  Every fact traces to its origin