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ATT&CK Technique

Hardware Additions

T1200 · initial-access

Adversaries may physically introduce computer accessories, networking hardware, or other computing devices into a system or network that can be used as a vector to gain access. Rather than just connecting and distributing payloads via removable storage (i.e. Replication Through Removable Media), more robust hardware additions can be used to introduce new functionalities and/or features into a system that can then be abused.

While public references of usage by threat actors are scarce, many red teams/penetration testers leverage hardware additions for initial access. Commercial and open source products can be leveraged with capabilities such as passive network tapping, network traffic modification (i.e. Adversary-in-the-Middle), keystroke injection, kernel memory reading via DMA, addition of new wireless access points to an existing network, and others.

WindowsLinuxmacOS
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Actors Using This

5
israel_commercial_cyber_mercenaryCandiru / Sourgum
israel_private_sector_mobile_forensics_cyber_mercenaryCellebrite
united_statesEquation Group
china_apt_speculation_low_confidenceMosaicRegressor
us_israel_joint_offensive_cyberStuxnet
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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.
resource-development earlier
T1587.002 · Code Signing Certificates ×6.14T1587.004 · Exploits ×4.49T1583.004 · Server ×1.98
execution later
T1559 · Inter-Process Communication ×2.14
persistence later
T1542.001 · System Firmware ×20.40T1542 · Pre-OS Boot ×13.60T1542.003 · Bootkit ×12.98
privilege-escalation later
T1548 · Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism ×2.11
discovery later
T1614 · System Location Discovery ×2.70T1010 · Application Window Discovery ×1.98
collection later
T1039 · Data from Network Shared Drive ×1.95
command-and-control later
T1573.002 · Asymmetric Cryptography ×2.21
exfiltration later
T1020 · Automated Exfiltration ×3.12T1029 · Scheduled Transfer ×2.07
other same
T1014 · Rootkit ×2.64
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Mitigations

2
MITRE ATT&CK mitigations - vendor-agnostic guidance for reducing exposure to this technique.
M1034Limit Hardware Installation

Prevent unauthorized users or groups from installing or using hardware, such as external drives, peripheral devices, or unapproved internal hardware components, by enforcing hardware usage policies and technical controls. This includes disabling USB ports, restricting driver installation, and implementing endpoint security tools to monitor and block unapproved devices.

Disable USB Ports and Hardware Installation Policies
  • Use Group Policy Objects (GPO) to disable USB mass storage devices:.
  • Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Removable Storage Access.
  • Deny write and read access to USB devices.
  • Whitelist approved devices using unique serial numbers via Windows Device Installation Policies.
Deploy Endpoint Protection and Device Control Solutions
  • Use tools like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Symantec Endpoint Protection, or Tanium to monitor and block unauthorized hardware.
  • Implement device control policies to allow specific hardware types (e.g., keyboards, mice) and block others.
Harden BIOS/UEFI and System Firmware
  • Set strong passwords for BIOS/UEFI access.
  • Enable Secure Boot to prevent rogue hardware components from loading unauthorized firmware.
Restrict Peripheral Devices and Drivers
  • Use Windows Device Manager Policies to block installation of unapproved drivers.
  • Monitor hardware installation attempts through endpoint monitoring tools.
Disable Bluetooth and Wireless Hardware
  • Use GPO or MDM tools to disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi interfaces across systems.
  • Restrict hardware pairing to approved devices only.
Logging and Monitoring
  • Enable logging for hardware installation events in Windows Event Logs (Event ID 20001 for Device Setup Manager).
  • Use SIEM solutions (e.g., Splunk, Elastic Stack) to detect unauthorized hardware installation activities.
Tools for Implementation USB and Device Control
  • Microsoft Group Policy Objects (GPO)
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
  • Symantec Endpoint Protection.
McAfee Device Control Endpoint Monitoring
  • EDRs.
OSSEC (open-source host-based IDS) Hardware Whitelisting
  • BitLocker for external drives (Windows)
  • Windows Device Installation Policies.
Device Control BIOS/UEFI Security
  • Secure Boot (Windows/Linux) Firmware management tools like Dell Command Update or HP Sure Start.
M1035Limit Access to Resource Over Network

Restrict access to network resources, such as file shares, remote systems, and services, to only those users, accounts, or systems with a legitimate business requirement. This can include employing technologies like network concentrators, RDP gateways, and zero-trust network access (ZTNA) models, alongside hardening services and protocols.

Audit and Restrict Access
  • Regularly audit permissions for file shares, network services, and remote access tools.
  • Remove unnecessary access and enforce least privilege principles for users and services.
  • Use Active Directory and IAM tools to restrict access based on roles and attributes.
Deploy Secure Remote Access Solutions
  • Use RDP gateways, VPN concentrators, and ZTNA solutions to aggregate and secure remote access connections.
  • Configure access controls to restrict connections based on time, device, and user identity.
  • Enforce MFA for all remote access mechanisms.
Disable Unnecessary Services
  • Identify running services using tools like netstat (Windows/Linux) or Nmap.
  • Disable unused services, such as Telnet, FTP, and legacy SMB, to reduce the attack surface.
  • Use firewall rules to block traffic on unused ports and protocols.
Network Segmentation and Isolation
  • Use VLANs, firewalls, or micro-segmentation to isolate critical network resources from general access.
  • Restrict communication between subnets to prevent lateral movement.
Monitor and Log Access
  • Monitor access attempts to file shares, RDP, and remote network resources using SIEM tools.
  • Enable auditing and logging for successful and failed attempts to access restricted resources.
Tools for Implementation File Share Management
  • Microsoft Active Directory Group Policies.
  • Samba (Linux/Unix file share management)
AccessEnum (Windows access auditing tool) Secure Remote Access
  • Microsoft Remote Desktop Gateway.
  • Apache Guacamole (open-source RDP/VNC gateway)
  • Zero Trust solutions: Tailscale, Cloudflare Zero Trust Service and Protocol Hardening:.
  • Nmap or Nessus for network service discovery.
  • Windows Group Policy Editor for disabling SMBv1, Telnet, and legacy protocols.
  • iptables or firewalld (Linux) for blocking unnecessary traffic Network Segmentation:.
  • pfSense for open-source network isolation.
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Detection Coverage

1/6 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) 3
Analytics (MITRE CAR) none
Runtime / container (Falco) none
File / malware (YARA) none
Network (Suricata/Snort) none
Vuln scan (Nuclei) none
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Comply & Defend

NIST 800-53AC-03, AC-06, AC-20, MP-07, SC-41
D3FEND2 defensive techniques
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CVETechnique ActorTool Family
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MITRE ATT&CKAtomic Red Teamcar (MITRE)
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