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ATT&CK Technique

Stored Data Manipulation

T1565.001 · impact

Adversaries may insert, delete, or manipulate data at rest in order to influence external outcomes or hide activity, thus threatening the integrity of the data. By manipulating stored data, adversaries may attempt to affect a business process, organizational understanding, and decision making. Stored data could include a variety of file formats, such as Office files, databases, stored emails, and custom file formats.

The type of modification and the impact it will have depends on the type of data as well as the goals and objectives of the adversary. For complex systems, an adversary would likely need special expertise and possibly access to specialized software related to the system that would typically be gained through a prolonged information gathering campaign in order to have the desired impact.

LinuxmacOSWindows
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Actors Using This

14
iranAPT33
north_koreaAPT38
brazilBanbra
brazilBizarro
russia_apt_sandwormBlackEnergy
russia_apt_sandwormCaddyWiper
russia_speaking_cybercrimeCarbanak
iranCotton Sandstorm
belarus_oppositionCyber Partisans
us_israel_joint_offensive_cyber_speculationFlame
russia_apt_sandworm_adjacentHermeticWiper
russia_apt_sandwormIndustroyer / CrashOverride / Industroyer2
brazilKrachulka
brazilLokorrito
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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.
persistence earlier
T1037.003 · Network Logon Script ×7.93T1547.004 · Winlogon Helper DLL ×7.44
lateral-movement earlier
T0843 · Program Download ×5.95
collection earlier
T1056.004 · Credential API Hooking ×5.51
impact same
T1565.002 · Transmitted Data Manipulation ×9.37T1488 · Disk Content Wipe ×8.50T1495 · Firmware Corruption ×7.63T1565 · Data Manipulation ×6.26T0815 · Denial of View ×6.20T0828 · Loss of Productivity and Revenue ×6.20T1496 · Resource Hijacking ×5.78T1499.004 · Application or System Exploitation ×5.78T0832 · Manipulation of View ×5.67T1561.002 · Disk Structure Wipe ×5.45
other same
T0816 · Device Restart/Shutdown ×5.67
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Mitigations

3
MITRE ATT&CK mitigations - vendor-agnostic guidance for reducing exposure to this technique.
M1022Restrict File and Directory Permissions

Restricting file and directory permissions involves setting access controls at the file system level to limit which users, groups, or processes can read, write, or execute files. By configuring permissions appropriately, organizations can reduce the attack surface for adversaries seeking to access sensitive data, plant malicious code, or tamper with system files.

Enforce Least Privilege Permissions
  • Remove unnecessary write permissions on sensitive files and directories.
  • Use file ownership and groups to control access for specific roles. Example (Windows): Right-click the shared folder.
  • Properties.
  • Security tab.
  • Adjust permissions for NTFS ACLs.
Harden File Shares
  • Disable anonymous access to shared folders.
  • Enforce NTFS permissions for shared folders on Windows. Example: Set permissions to restrict write access to critical files, such as system executables (e.g., /bin or /sbin on Linux). Use tools like chown and chmod to assign file ownership and limit access. On Linux, apply: chmod 750 /etc/sensitive.conf `chown root:admin /etc/sensitive.
conf` File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)
  • Use tools like Tripwire, Wazuh, or OSSEC to monitor changes to critical file permissions.
Audit File System Access
  • Enable auditing to track permission changes or unauthorized access attempts.
  • Use auditd (Linux) or Event Viewer (Windows) to log activities.
Restrict Startup Directories
  • Configure permissions to prevent unauthorized writes to directories like C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu. Example: Restrict write access to critical directories like /etc/, /usr/local/, and Windows directories such as C:\Windows\System32.
  • On Windows, use icacls to modify permissions: icacls "C:\Windows\System32" /inheritance:r /grant:r SYSTEM:(OI)(CI)F.
  • On Linux, monitor permissions using tools like lsattr or auditd.
M1029Remote Data Storage

Remote Data Storage focuses on moving critical data, such as security logs and sensitive files, to secure, off-host locations to minimize unauthorized access, tampering, or destruction by adversaries. By leveraging remote storage solutions, organizations enhance the protection of forensic evidence, sensitive information, and monitoring data.

Centralized Log Management
  • Configure endpoints to forward security logs to a centralized log collector or SIEM.
  • Use tools like Splunk Graylog, or Security Onion to aggregate and store logs.
  • Example command (Linux): sudo auditd | tee /var/log/audit/audit.log | nc <remote-log-server> 514 Remote File Storage Solutions:.
  • Utilize cloud storage solutions like AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Azure Blob Storage for sensitive data.
  • Ensure proper encryption at rest and access control policies (IAM roles, ACLs).
Intrusion Detection Log Forwarding
  • Forward logs from IDS/IPS systems (e.g., Zeek/Suricata) to a remote security information system.
Example for Suricata log forwarding: `outputs
  • type: syslog protocol: tls address: <remote-syslog-server>` Immutable Backup Configurations:.
  • Enable immutable storage settings for backups to prevent adversaries from modifying or deleting data.
  • Example: AWS S3 Object Lock.
Data Encryption
  • Ensure encryption for sensitive data using AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2+ for data in transit. Tools: OpenSSL, BitLocker, LUKS for Linux.
M1041Encrypt Sensitive Information

Protect sensitive information at rest, in transit, and during processing by using strong encryption algorithms. Encryption ensures the confidentiality and integrity of data, preventing unauthorized access or tampering.

Encrypt Data at Rest
  • Use Case: Use full-disk encryption or file-level encryption to secure sensitive data stored on devices.
  • Implementation: Implement BitLocker for Windows systems or FileVault for macOS devices to encrypt hard drives.
Encrypt Data in Transit
  • Use Case: Use secure communication protocols (e.g., TLS, HTTPS) to encrypt sensitive data as it travels over networks.
  • Implementation: Enable HTTPS for all web applications and configure mail servers to enforce STARTTLS for email encryption.
Encrypt Backups
  • Use Case: Ensure that backup data is encrypted both during storage and transfer to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Implementation: Encrypt cloud backups using AES-256 before uploading them to Amazon S3 or Google Cloud.
Encrypt Application Secrets
  • Use Case: Store sensitive credentials, API keys, and configuration files in encrypted vaults.
  • Implementation: Use HashiCorp Vault or AWS Secrets Manager to manage and encrypt secrets.
Database Encryption
  • Use Case: Enable Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) or column-level encryption in database management systems.
  • Implementation: Use MySQL’s built-in encryption features to encrypt sensitive database fields such as social security numbers.
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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) 6
Analytics (MITRE CAR) none
Runtime / container (Falco) none
File / malware (YARA) none
Network (Suricata/Snort) none
Vuln scan (Nuclei) none
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Caldera Emulation

1
MITRE Caldera abilities that emulate this technique - each is an executable action for automated adversary emulation.
impactdarwin, linux, windowsFile Hunter Mission
./mission.go -duration 60 -extension .caldera -dir '/'
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Comply & Defend

NIST 800-53AC-03, AC-16, AC-17, AC-18, AC-19, AC-20, CA-07, CM-02, CM-06, CM-08, CP-06, CP-07, CP-09, CP-10, SC-04, SC-07, SC-28, SC-36, SI-04, SI-07, SI-12, SI-16, SI-23
D3FEND11 defensive techniques
Intelligence Graph · click any node to traverse
CVETechnique ActorTool Family
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External lookups - second-class, for what we don’t hold ourselves
MITRE ATT&CKAtomic Red Teamcar (MITRE)
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