Unsecured Credentials: Credentials In Files T1552.001
Tactic: Credential Access
Adversaries may search local file systems and remote file shares for files containing insecurely stored credentials. These can be files created by users to store their own credentials, shared credential stores for a group of individuals, configuration files containing passwords for a system or service, or source code/binary files containing embedded passwords.
Events covered
14 catalog events are tagged with this technique by at least one rule.
| Provider | Event | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Sysmon | Event ID 1 | Process creation |
| Sysmon | Event ID 11 | FileCreate |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4648 | A logon was attempted using explicit credentials. |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4663 | An attempt was made to access an object. |
| Security-Auditing | Event ID 4688 | A new process has been created. |
| ESF | exec | Process Execution (Notify) |
| ESF | open | File Open (NOTIFY) |
| ESF | create | File or Directory Create (NOTIFY) |
| ESF | write | File Write (NOTIFY) |
| Linux-Auditd | Event ID 1309 | EXECVE |
| PowerShell | Event ID 4103 | Payload Context: ContextInfo User Data: UserData. |
| PowerShell | Event ID 4104 | Creating Scriptblock text (MessageNumber of MessageTotal). |
| Sysmon-for-Linux | Event ID 1 | Process Create |
| Sysmon-for-Linux | Event ID 11 | File created |
Authoring guide
Patterns shared across the 76 rules above: which fields they filter on, what specific values they look for, and what they exclude. The catalog normalizes field names across vendors so Sigma's Image, Elastic's process.name, and Splunk's process_name collapse into one row. Each rule contributes at most once per row.
Fields filtered most (72 distinct)
The fields most rules look at when detecting this technique. The How column shows the operators authors use (eq, wildcard, regex_match, match) and how often each appears. Sample values are concrete examples to start from, not an exhaustive list.
Top indicator values (1024 distinct)
Specific (field, operator, value) combinations the rules check for, ranked by how many rules under this technique use each one. The Corpus reach column counts how many rules across the entire catalog (any technique) check the same combination. High numbers point to widely-used indicators that are likely noisy on their own; combine them with another condition for useful signal. Blank means the combination is specific to rules under this technique. Click a value to expand the rules under this technique that use it.
Exclusions (89 distinct)
Field/operator/value combinations excluded by rules under this technique (top-level not() clauses), sorted by how many rules exclude each. These are the false-positive paths the community has learned to filter out. A new rule that ignores the high-count entries here will likely fire on the same noisy paths. Click a value to expand the rules under this technique that exclude it.
Rules under this technique
Every rule in the catalog tagged with this technique, grouped by vendor. Click a rule title for its full predicates, exclusions, and indicators.
Sigma 23 rules
- Automated Collection Command Prompt
- Azure Key Vault Modified or Deleted
- Azure Keyvault Key Modified or Deleted
- Azure Keyvault Secrets Modified or Deleted
- Cisco Collect Data
- Copy Passwd Or Shadow From TMP Path
- Credentials In Files
- Credentials In Files - Linux
- Extracting Information with PowerShell
- HackTool - Typical HiveNightmare SAM File Export
- HackTool - WinPwn Execution
- HackTool - WinPwn Execution - ScriptBlock
- Hidden Flag Set On File/Directory Via Chflags - MacOS
- Insensitive Subfolder Search Via Findstr.EXE
- Linux Recon Indicators
- Potential Password Reconnaissance Via Findstr.EXE
- Potential PowerShell Console History Access Attempt via History File
- Potential Russian APT Credential Theft Activity
- Potentially Suspicious JWT Token Search Via CLI
- PUA - TruffleHog Execution
- PUA - TruffleHog Execution - Linux
- Remote File Download Via Findstr.EXE
- Shai-Hulud Malicious GitHub Workflow Creation
Elastic 32 rules
- AWS Credentials Searched For Inside A Container
- AWS S3 Credential File Retrieved from Bucket
- Cloud Credential Search Detected via Defend for Containers
- Credential Access via TruffleHog Execution
- First Time Python Accessed Sensitive Credential Files
- GenAI Process Accessing Sensitive Files
- Kubeconfig File Creation or Modification
- Kubeconfig File Discovery
- Kubernetes and Cloud Credential Path Access via Process Arguments
- Kubernetes Pod Exec Sensitive File or Credential Path Access
- Kubernetes Service Account Secret Access
- Microsoft IIS Connection Strings Decryption
- Microsoft IIS Service Account Password Dumped
- Multi-Cloud CLI Token and Credential Access Commands
- Potential Credential Discovery via Recursive Grep
- Potential Kerberos Attack via Bifrost
- Potential Secret Scanning via Gitleaks
- Private Key Searching Activity
- Security File Access via Common Utilities
- Sensitive File Compression Detected via Defend for Containers
- Sensitive Files Compression
- Sensitive Files Compression Inside A Container
- Sensitive Identity File Open by Suspicious Process via Auditd
- Sensitive Keys Or Passwords Search Detected via Defend for Containers
- Sensitive Keys Or Passwords Searched For Inside A Container
- Service Account Token or Certificate Access Followed by Kubernetes API Request
- Service Account Token or Certificate Read Detected via Defend for Containers
- Unusual Web Config File Access
- Web Server Exploitation Detected via Defend for Containers
- Web Server Local File Inclusion Activity
- Web Server Potential Command Injection Request
- Wireless Credential Dumping using Netsh Command
Splunk 16 rules
- ADExplorer Execution (Sysmon)
- ADExplorer Execution (Windows Event Log)
- ADExplorer Snapshot Creation (Sysmon)
- ADExplorer Snapshot Creation (Windows Event Log)
- Attempted Veeam Database Credential Dump (PowerShell)
- Attempted Veeam Database Credential Dump (Sysmon)
- Attempted Veeam Database Credential Dump (Windows Event Log)
- Locate Credentials (PowerShell)
- Locate Credentials (Sysmon)
- Locate Credentials (Windows Event Log)
- MCP Github Suspicious Operation
- MCP Sensitive System File Search
- Potential password in username
- Shai-Hulud 2 Exfiltration Artifact Files
- Windows Unusual FileZilla XML Config Access
- Windows Unusual Intelliform Storage Registry Access