TA0011 · COMMAND AND CONTROL
Proxy
Multi-hop proxies, Tor, and domain fronting used to hide the true C2 destination.
Detect it with
Tor entry-node connections; internal hosts acting as relays for other internal hosts.
Why it matters on shift
Proxy is one of the concrete ways adversaries achieve command and control. 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 command and control, the next tactic is usually Exfiltration. Search your telemetry for the transition before closing the ticket.
4 sub-techniques
How it shows up in practice
- T1090.001
Internal Proxy
Adversaries may use an internal proxy to direct command and control traffic between two or more systems in a compromised environment. Many tools exist that enable traffic redirection through proxies or port redirection, including HTRAN, ZXProxy, and ZXPortMap.
- T1090.002
External Proxy
Adversaries may use an external proxy to act as an intermediary for network communications to a command and control server to avoid direct connections to their infrastructure.
- T1090.003
Multi-hop Proxy
Adversaries may chain together multiple proxies to disguise the source of malicious traffic.
- T1090.004
Domain Fronting
Adversaries may take advantage of routing schemes in Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and other services which host multiple domains to obfuscate the intended destination of HTTPS traffic or traffic tunneled through HTTPS.
Kill-chain context