Adversaries may use Valid Accounts to log into remote machines using Secure Shell (SSH). The adversary may then perform actions as the logged-on user. SSH is a protocol that allows authorized users to open remote shells on other computers. Many Linux and macOS versions come with SSH installed by default, although typically disabled until the user enables it. On ESXi, SSH can be enabled either directly on the host (e.g., via `vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh`) or via vCenter.123 Modern versions of Windows include a built-in SSH server and client.4 The SSH server can be configured to use standard password authentication or public-private keypairs in lieu of or in addition to a password. In this authentication scenario, the user’s public key must be in a special file on the computer running the server that lists which keypairs are allowed to log in as that user (i.e., SSH Authorized Keys).
- Sygnia ESXi Ransomware 2025
- TrendMicro ESXI Ransomware
- Sygnia Abyss Locker 2025
- Windows SSH
Groups using this technique
| Group | Name | Country |
|---|---|---|
| grp_g0036 | GCMAN | — |
| grp_g0117 | Fox Kitten | — |
| grp_g1023 | APT5 | China |
| grp_g0143 | Aquatic Panda | China |
| grp_g0032 | Lazarus Group | DPRK |
| grp_g1045 | Salt Typhoon | — |
| grp_g0119 | Indrik Spider | Russia |
| grp_g1015 | Scattered Spider | — |
| grp_g1048 | UNC3886 | — |
| grp_g0049 | OilRig | Iran |
| grp_g1046 | Storm-1811 | — |
| grp_g0065 | Leviathan | China |
| grp_g0046 | FIN7 | — |
| grp_g0087 | APT39 | — |
| grp_g1016 | FIN13 | — |
| grp_g0139 | TeamTNT | — |
| grp_g0098 | BlackTech | China |
| grp_g0106 | Rocke | — |
| grp_g0045 | menuPass | — |
Claims
No public claim points at this technique yet.
Auto-ingested and not human-reviewed; confidence and validity read by citation.