TA0005 · DEFENSE EVASION
Right-to-Left Override
Adversaries may abuse the right-to-left override (RTLO or RLO) character (U+202E) to disguise a string and/or file name to make it appear benign. RTLO is a non-printing Unicode character that causes the text that follows it to be displayed in reverse.
Detect it with
Detection methods should include looking for common formats of RTLO characters within filenames such as \u202E , [U+202E] , and %E2%80%AE .
Why it matters on shift
Right-to-Left Override is one of the concrete ways adversaries achieve defense evasion. Recognising it in telemetry lets you name the technique in your ticket and pivot to what came before and after.
What to look for next
After defense evasion, the next tactic is usually Credential Access. Search your telemetry for the transition before closing the ticket.
Kill-chain context