T1055.014SubTechniquedefense-evasionprivilege-escalationagent-callable

T1055.014VDSO Hijacking

Sub-technique of T1055

Platforms: Linux

ATT&CK version: 14.1

What it is

Adversaries may inject malicious code into processes via VDSO hijacking in order to evade process-based defenses as well as possibly elevate privileges. Virtual dynamic shared object (vdso) hijacking is a method of executing arbitrary code in the address space of a separate live process. VDSO hijacking involves redirecting calls to dynamically linked shared libraries. Memory protections may prevent writing executable code to a process via [Ptrace System Calls](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1055/008). However, an adversary may hijack the syscall interface code stubs mapped into a process from the vdso shared object to execute syscalls to open and map a malicious shared object. This code can then be invoked by redirecting the execution flow of the process via patched memory address references stored in a process' global offset table (which store absolute addresses of mapped library functions).(Citation: ELF Injection May 2009)(Citation: Backtrace VDSO)(Citation: VDSO Aug 2005)(Citation: Syscall 2014) Running code in the context of another process may allow access to the process's memory, system/network resources, and possibly elevated privileges. Execution via VDSO hijacking may also evade detection from security products since the execution is masked under a legitimate process.

ATT&CK tactics· 2

Defense EvasionPrivilege Escalation

References

  1. https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1055/014
  2. https://backtrace.io/blog/backtrace/elf-shared-library-injection-forensics/
  3. https://lwn.net/Articles/604515/
  4. https://www.gnu.org/software/acct/
  5. https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/6/html/security_guide/chap-system_auditing
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20150711051625/http://vxer.org/lib/vrn00.html
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20051013084246/http://www.trilithium.com/johan/2005/08/linux-gate/
  8. http://www.chokepoint.net/2014/02/detecting-userland-preload-rootkits.html
Sourced from MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v14.1. Curated and contextualized for EU compliance use cases by Adam Lundqvist, Founder at SQUR.
T1055.014: VDSO Hijacking | SQUR Knowledge Base