TA0005 · DEFENSE EVASION
Downgrade Attack
Adversaries may downgrade or use a version of system features that may be outdated, vulnerable, and/or does not support updated security controls.
Detect it with
Monitor for commands or other activity that may be indicative of attempts to abuse older or deprecated technologies (ex: powershell –v 2 ).
Why it matters on shift
Downgrade Attack 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