Automation · API / MCP 中文

Technique note · T1486

Data Encrypted for Impact

Adversaries may encrypt data on target systems or on large numbers of systems in a network to interrupt availability to system and network resources. They can attempt to render stored data inaccessible by encrypting files or data on local and remote drives and withholding access to a decryption key. This may be done in order to extract monetary compensation from a victim in exchange for decryption or a decryption key (ransomware) or to render data permanently inaccessible in cases where the key is not saved or transmitted. In the case of ransomware, it is typical that common user files like Office documents, PDFs, images, videos, audio, text, and source code files will be encrypted (and often renamed and/or tagged with specific file markers). Adversaries may need to first employ other behaviors, such as File and Directory Permissions Modification or System Shutdown/Reboot, in order to unlock and/or gain access to manipulate these files. In some cases, adversaries may encrypt critical system files, disk partitions, and the MBR. Adversaries may also encrypt virtual machines hosted on ESXi or other hypervisors. To maximize impact on the target organization, malware designed for encrypting data may have worm-like features to propagate across a network by leveraging other attack techniques like Valid Accounts, OS Credential Dumping, and SMB/Windows Admin Shares. Encryption malware may also leverage Internal Defacement, such as changing victim wallpapers or ESXi server login messages, or otherwise intimidate victims by sending ransom notes or other messages to connected printers (known as "print bombing"). In cloud environments, storage objects within compromised accounts may also be encrypted. For example, in AWS environments, adversaries may leverage services such as AWS’s Server-Side Encryption with Customer Provided Keys (SSE-C) to encrypt data.

ATT&CK T1486 platforms — Status Active Version 20.1

Adversaries may encrypt data on target systems or on large numbers of systems in a network to interrupt availability to system and network resources. They can attempt to render stored data inaccessible by encrypting files or data on local and remote drives and withholding access to a decryption key. This may be done in order to extract monetary compensation from a victim in exchange for decryption or a decryption key (ransomware) or to render data permanently inaccessible in cases where the key is not saved or transmitted.1234 In the case of ransomware, it is typical that common user files like Office documents, PDFs, images, videos, audio, text, and source code files will be encrypted (and often renamed and/or tagged with specific file markers). Adversaries may need to first employ other behaviors, such as File and Directory Permissions Modification or System Shutdown/Reboot, in order to unlock and/or gain access to manipulate these files.5 In some cases, adversaries may encrypt critical system files, disk partitions, and the MBR.6 Adversaries may also encrypt virtual machines hosted on ESXi or other hypervisors.7 To maximize impact on the target organization, malware designed for encrypting data may have worm-like features to propagate across a network by leveraging other attack techniques like Valid Accounts, OS Credential Dumping, and SMB/Windows Admin Shares.89 Encryption malware may also leverage Internal Defacement, such as changing victim wallpapers or ESXi server login messages, or otherwise intimidate victims by sending ransom notes or other messages to connected printers (known as "print bombing").1011 In cloud environments, storage objects within compromised accounts may also be encrypted.12 For example, in AWS environments, adversaries may leverage services such as AWS’s Server-Side Encryption with Customer Provided Keys (SSE-C) to encrypt data.13

  1. US-CERT Ransomware 2016
  2. FireEye WannaCry 2017
  3. US-CERT NotPetya 2017
  4. US-CERT SamSam 2018
  5. CarbonBlack Conti July 2020
  6. US-CERT NotPetya 2017
  7. Crowdstrike Hypervisor Jackpotting Pt 2 2021
  8. FireEye WannaCry 2017
  9. US-CERT NotPetya 2017
  10. NHS Digital Egregor Nov 2020
  11. Varonis
  12. Rhino S3 Ransomware Part 1
  13. Halcyon AWS Ransomware 2025

Groups using this technique

GroupNameCountry
grp_g1050Water Galura—
grp_g1043BlackByte—
grp_g1056TeamPCP—
grp_g1024Akira—
grp_g0119Indrik SpiderRussia
grp_g1051Medusa Group—
grp_g1015Scattered Spider—
grp_g1053Storm-0501—
grp_g1036Moonstone SleetDPRK
grp_g1055VOID MANTICORE—
grp_g1058The Gentlemen—
grp_g0061FIN8—
grp_g0082APT38DPRK
grp_g1046Storm-1811—
grp_g0046FIN7—
grp_g1032INC Ransom—
grp_g0092TA505—
grp_g0059Magic HoundIran
grp_g0096APT41China
grp_g0034Sandworm TeamRussia

Claims

No public claim points at this technique yet.

Auto-ingested and not human-reviewed; confidence and validity read by citation.