Malware Behavior Catalog v3.1
June 30, 2024 · View on GitHub
The Malware Behavior Catalog (MBC) is a catalog of malware objectives and behaviors, created to support malware analysis-oriented use cases, such as labeling, similarity analysis, and standardized reporting. Please see the FAQ page for answers to common questions, and read the newsletters for information on the most recent MBC updates and activity.
Open-source malware analysis tools map their output to MBC and ATT&CK:
- capa - see the capa rule mapping distribution
- CAPE - see the CAPE signature mapping distribution
MBC supports other community efforts:
- CACAO - a playbook for the MBC corpus malware Locky Bart shows how CACAO can reference MBC behaviors.
- Attack Flow - flow diagrams for the MBC corpus malware Shamoon and SearchAwesome illustrate how Attack Flow can reference MBC behaviors.
Check out MBC presentations:
- Standardized Reporting with the Malware Behavior Catalog, VB2020 localhost (October 2020)
- Malware Behavior Catalog, BSides DC (October 2019)
To join the MBC mailing list, please send a request to mbc@mitre.org.
Objectives
As shown below, malware objectives are based on ATT&CK tactics, and are tailored for the malware analysis use case of characterizing malware based on known objectives and behaviors. Two malware analysis-specific objectives not in ATT&CK are also defined (ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS and ANTI-STATIC ANALYSIS).
Behaviors
Under each objective, MBC captures all behaviors and code characteristics discovered during malware analysis, with links to ATT&CK techniques as appropriate. Names of MBC behaviors may or may not match related ATT&CK techniques. Any content provided on behavior pages is supplemental to ATT&CK content. In other words, ATT&CK content is not duplicated in MBC, and MBC users will reference ATT&CK while capturing malware behaviors.
Methods
Methods are associated with behaviors and serve different roles, depending on the behavior. In some cases, a method further refines a behavior (i.e., sub-behavior); in other cases, a method is an implementation of a behavior. Previously, methods had no ATT&CK counterpart, but beginning in April 2020, ATT&CK defines sub-techniques, which are similar to methods.
Note that a method cannot be used without a behavior.
Micro-objectives / Micro-behaviors
Some malware behaviors are low-level, support many objectives and other behaviors, and aren't necessarily malicious. For example, a TCP socket may be created, or a string may be checked for some condition. Because such behaviors are often noted in malware analysis, they are captured in MBC. See Micro-behaviors for details.
Identifiers
As shown below, the letter of an identifier relays information about a behavior. Note that letters used in MBC v2 and v3 are changed from MBC v1.
| Letter | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| B | B0040 | An MBC behavior. |
| C | C0015 | An MBC micro-behavior. |
| T | T1234 | An ATT&CK technique. |
| E | E1234 | An ATT&CK technique that has been enhanced with malware-specific details. The numerical portion of the identifier will match the ATT&CK ID (e.g., E1234 enhances T1234). |
| F | F0004 | An ATT&CK sub-technique that has been enhanced with malware-specific details. |
Two letters of an identifier relay information about an objective.
| Letter | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
| OB | OB0001 | An MBC objective. |
| OC | OC0003 | An MBC micro-objective. |
Identifiers of methods are formatted in the same way as ATT&CK sub-techniques. If MBC defines a new method for an existing ATT&CK technique, the identifier is changed from "T" to "E" and an "m" identifier is added (e.g., a method added to T1234 would be denoted E1234.m01 and is different than T1234.001, although both refer to the T1234 ATT&CK technique). Method identifiers of "B", "C", and "F" behaviors are defined without the "m" (e.g., B0008.009; C0005.002; F0001.005).
When two or more MBC behaviors refine the same ATT&CK technique, each is given an MBC identifier and each references the ATT&CK identifier. When a new ATT&CK technique is defined after an MBC behavior has been defined, the preexisting MBC identifier is preserved and the new ATT&CK identifier is referenced.
In cases where an MBC behavior enhances a technique/sub-technique that is defined in both ATT&CK Mobile and Enterprise, the "E" identifier used in MBC corresponds to the Enterprise identifier. For example, the Obfuscated Files or Information technique has identifier T1027 in Enterprise, identifier T1406 in Mobile, and identifier E1027 in MBC.
Canonical Representation
The canonical representation for MBC content is OBJECTIVE::Behavior::Method. For example, ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS::Debugger Detection::Process Environment Block.
Objectives and behaviors can be used alone, but a method must be associated with a behavior.
STIX 2.1 Representation
A STIX 2.1 representation for MBC v3.1 is available in the mbc-stix2.1 repository. It's based on a refined STIX 2.1 Malware Behavior Extension that includes new STIX domain objects for MBC objectives, behaviors, and methods.
Navigator View
This visual representation of the MBC Matrix is based on the ATT&CK Navigator. Two views are available:
Malware Corpus
The MBC contains a malware corpus where each malware entry is decomposed into behaviors that are mapped to ATT&CK and MBC. The mappings are based on open source malware analysis reports. Note that some malware types are also present in the ATT&CK software page. We refer readers to the corresponding ATT&CK page for a list of identified ATT&CK techniques. However, we will list any newly identified ATT&CK techniques in the MBC malware page.
Malware Objective Descriptions
Malware objectives are defined in the table below. Follow the links to view associated behaviors.
| Objective | Description |
|---|---|
| Anti-Behavioral Analysis | Malware aims to prevent, obstruct, or evade behavioral analysis, such as analysis done using a sandbox or debugger. |
| Anti-Static Analysis | Malware aims to prevent static analysis or make it more difficult. |
| Collection | Malware aims to identify and gather information from a machine or network. |
| Command and Control | Malware aims to communicate with compromised systems to control them. |
| Credential Access | Malware aims to steal account names and passwords. |
| Defense Evasion | Malware aims to evade detection. |
| Discovery | Malware aims to gain knowledge about the environment. |
| Execution | Malware aims to execute code on a system. |
| Exfiltration | Malware aims to steal data. |
| Impact | Malware aims to manipulate, interrupt, or destroy systems or data. |
| Lateral Movement | Malware aims to propagate or otherwise move through an environment. Lateral movement may be active, happening via direct machine access, or may be passive (for example, done via malicious email). |
| Persistence | Malware aims to remain on a system. |
| Privilege Escalation | Malware aims to obtain higher level permissions. |
MBC Behaviors
The table below lists MBC behaviors and related ATT&CK techniques. In most cases, related ATT&CK techniques were defined after the MBC behavior was defined. Please see the MBC Summary for a listing of all MBC content.
| ID | Objective(s) | Behavior | Related ATT&CK Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| B0001 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS | Debugger Detection | none |
| B0002 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS | Debugger Evasion | Debugger Evasion (T1622) |
| B0003 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS | Dynamic Analysis Evasion | Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion (T1497,T1633) |
| B0004 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL | Emulator Detection | none |
| B0005 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL | Emulator Evasion | none |
| B0006 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL | Memory Dump Evasion | none |
| B0007 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL | Sandbox Detection | Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion: System Checks (T1497.001,T1633.001); Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion: User Activity Based Checks (T1497.002) |
| B0008 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS, ANTI-STATIC ANALYSIS | Executable Code Virtualization | none |
| B0009 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS | Virtual Machine Detection | Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion (T1497,T1633) |
| B0010 | ANTI-STATIC ANALYSIS | Call Graph Generation Evasion | none |
| B0011 | EXECUTION | Remote Commands | none |
| B0012 | ANTI-STATIC ANALYSIS | Disassembler Evasion | none |
| B0013 | DISCOVERY | Analysis Tool Discovery | none |
| B0014 | DISCOVERY | SMTP Connection Discovery | none |
| B0015 | not defined | --- | --- |
| B0016 | IMPACT | Compromise Data Integrity | Data Manipulation: Stored Data Manipulation (T1565.001) |
| B0017 | IMPACT | Destroy Hardware | none |
| B0018 | IMPACT | Resource Hijacking | Resource Hijacking (T1496) |
| B0019 | IMPACT | Manipulate Network Traffic | Data Manipulation: Transmitted Data Manipulation (T1565.002) |
| B0020 | EXECUTION, LATERAL MOVEMENT | Send Email | Phishing (T1566) |
| B0021 | EXECUTION, LATERAL MOVEMENT | Send Poisoned Email | none |
| B0022 | IMPACT, PERSISTENCE | Remote Access | none |
| B0023 | EXECUTION | Install Additional Program | none |
| B0024 | EXECUTION | Prevent Concurrent Execution | none |
| B0025 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS//EXECUTION | Conditional Execution | Execution Guardrails (T1480) |
| B0026 | LATERAL MOVEMENT, PERSISTENCE | Malicious Network Driver | none |
| B0027 | DEFENSE EVASION | Alternative Installation Location | none |
| B0028 | CREDENTIAL ACCESS | Cryptocurrency | none |
| B0029 | DEFENSE EVASION | Polymorphic Code | none |
| B0030 | COMMAND AND CONTROL | Command and Control Communication | none |
| B0031 | COMMAND AND CONTROL | Domain Name Generation | Dynamic Resolution: Domain Name Generation (T1568.002) |
| B0032 | ANTI-STATIC ANALYSIS | Executable Code Obfuscation | none |
| B0033 | IMPACT | Denial of Service | Network Denial of Service (T1498) |
| B0034 | ANTI-STATIC ANALYSIS | Executable Code Optimization | none |
| B0035 | PERSISTENCE | Shutdown Event | none |
| B0036 | ANTI-BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS | Capture Evasion | none |
| B0037 | DEFENSE EVASION | Bypass Data Execution Prevention | none |
| B0038 | DISCOVERY | Self Discovery | none |
| B0039 | IMPACT | Spamming | none |
| B0040 | DEFENSE EVASION | Covert Location | none |
| B0041 | not defined | --- | --- |
| B0042 | IMPACT | Modify Hardware | none |
| B0043 | DISCOVERY | Taskbar Discovery | none |
| B0044 | EXECUTION | Execution Dependency | none |
| B0045 | ANTI-STATIC ANALYSIS | Data Flow Analysis Evasion | none |
| B0046 | DISCOVERY | Code Discovery | none |
| B0047 | DEFENSE EVASION, PERSISTENCE | Install Insecure or Malicious Code | none |
Citing MBC
If you use MBC, please cite it as specified in the CITATION file or by using GitHub's sidebar citation widget, which provides both APA and BibTeX formats.
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