T1059.003 - Command and Scripting Interpreter: Windows Command Shell

Description from ATT&CK

Adversaries may abuse the Windows command shell for execution. The Windows command shell ([cmd](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0106)) is the primary command prompt on Windows systems. The Windows command prompt can be used to control almost any aspect of a system, with various permission levels required for different subsets of commands. The command prompt can be invoked remotely via [Remote Services](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021) such as [SSH](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021/004).(Citation: SSH in Windows) Batch files (ex: .bat or .cmd) also provide the shell with a list of sequential commands to run, as well as normal scripting operations such as conditionals and loops. Common uses of batch files include long or repetitive tasks, or the need to run the same set of commands on multiple systems. Adversaries may leverage [cmd](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0106) to execute various commands and payloads. Common uses include [cmd](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0106) to execute a single command, or abusing [cmd](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0106) interactively with input and output forwarded over a command and control channel.

Atomic Tests

• Atomic Test #1 - Create and Execute Batch Script

• Atomic Test #2 - Writes text to a file and displays it.

• Atomic Test #3 - Suspicious Execution via Windows Command Shell

• Atomic Test #4 - Simulate BlackByte Ransomware Print Bombing

• Atomic Test #5 - Command Prompt read contents from CMD file and execute

• Atomic Test #6 - Command prompt writing script to file then executes it

Atomic Test #1 - Create and Execute Batch Script

Creates and executes a simple batch script. Upon execution, CMD will briefly launch to run the batch script then close again.

Supported Platforms: Windows

auto_generated_guid: 9e8894c0-50bd-4525-a96c-d4ac78ece388

Inputs:

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value | |——|————-|——|—————| | command_to_execute | Command to execute within script. | string | dir| | script_path | Script path. | path | PathToAtomicsFolder\..\ExternalPayloads\T1059.003_script.bat|

Attack Commands: Run with

1	powershell

!

1
Start-Process "#{script_path}"

Cleanup Commands:

1
Remove-Item "#{script_path}" -Force -ErrorAction Ignore

Dependencies: Run with

1	powershell

!

Description: Batch file must exist on disk at specified location (#{script_path})

Check Prereq Commands:

1
if (Test-Path "#{script_path}") {exit 0} else {exit 1}

Get Prereq Commands:

1
2
New-Item "#{script_path}" -Force | Out-Null
Set-Content -Path "#{script_path}" -Value "#{command_to_execute}"

Atomic Test #2 - Writes text to a file and displays it.

Writes text to a file and display the results. This test is intended to emulate the dropping of a malicious file to disk.

Supported Platforms: Windows

auto_generated_guid: 127b4afe-2346-4192-815c-69042bec570e

Inputs:

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value | |——|————-|——|—————| | file_contents_path | Path to the file that the command prompt will drop. | path | %TEMP%\test.bin| | message | Message that will be written to disk and then displayed. | string | Hello from the Windows Command Prompt!|

Attack Commands: Run with

1	command_prompt

!

echo "#{message}" > "#{file_contents_path}" & type "#{file_contents_path}"

Cleanup Commands:

del "#{file_contents_path}" >nul 2>&1

Atomic Test #3 - Suspicious Execution via Windows Command Shell

Command line executed via suspicious invocation. Example is from the 2021 Threat Detection Report by Red Canary.

Supported Platforms: Windows

auto_generated_guid: d0eb3597-a1b3-4d65-b33b-2cda8d397f20

Inputs:

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value | |——|————-|——|—————| | output_file | File to output to | string | hello.txt| | input_message | Message to write to file | string | Hello, from CMD!|

Attack Commands: Run with

1	command_prompt

!

%LOCALAPPDATA:~-3,1%md /c echo #{input_message} > #{output_file} & type #{output_file}

Atomic Test #4 - Simulate BlackByte Ransomware Print Bombing

This test attempts to open a file a specified number of times in Wordpad, then prints the contents. It is designed to mimic BlackByte ransomware’s print bombing technique, where tree.dll, which contains the ransom note, is opened in Wordpad 75 times and then printed. See https://redcanary.com/blog/blackbyte-ransomware/.

Supported Platforms: Windows

auto_generated_guid: 6b2903ac-8f36-450d-9ad5-b220e8a2dcb9

Inputs:

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value | |——|————-|——|—————| | file_to_print | File to be opened/printed by Wordpad. | string | PathToAtomicsFolder\..\ExternalPayloads\T1059_003note.txt| | max_to_print | The maximum number of Wordpad windows the test will open/print. | integer | 75|

Attack Commands: Run with

1	powershell

!

1
cmd /c "for /l %x in (1,1,#{max_to_print}) do start wordpad.exe /p #{file_to_print}" | out-null

Cleanup Commands:

1
stop-process -name wordpad -force -erroraction silentlycontinue

Dependencies: Run with

1	powershell

!

Description: File to print must exist on disk at specified location (#{file_to_print})

Check Prereq Commands:

1
if (test-path "#{file_to_print}"){exit 0} else {exit 1}

Get Prereq Commands:

1
new-item "#{file_to_print}" -value "This file has been created by T1059.003 Test 4" -Force | Out-Null

Atomic Test #5 - Command Prompt read contents from CMD file and execute

Simulate Raspberry Robin using the “standard-in” command prompt feature cmd

1

/R <

Supported Platforms: Windows

auto_generated_guid: df81db1b-066c-4802-9bc8-b6d030c3ba8e

Inputs:

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value | |——|————-|——|—————| | input_file | CMD file that is read by Command Prompt and execute, which launches calc.exe | path | PathToAtomicsFolder\T1059.003\src\t1059.003_cmd.cmd|

Attack Commands: Run with

1	command_prompt

!

cmd /r cmd<"#{input_file}"

Dependencies: Run with

1	powershell

!

Description: CMD file must exist on disk at specified location (#{input_file})

Check Prereq Commands:

1
if (Test-Path "#{input_file}") {exit 0} else {exit 1}

Get Prereq Commands:

1
2
New-Item -Type Directory (split-path "#{input_file}") -ErrorAction ignore | Out-Null
Invoke-WebRequest "https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/raw/master/atomics/T1059.003/src/t1059.003_cmd.cmd" -OutFile "#{input_file}"

Atomic Test #6 - Command prompt writing script to file then executes it

Simulate DarkGate malware’s second stage by writing a VBscript to disk directly from the command prompt then executing it. The script will execute ‘whoami’ then exit.

Supported Platforms: Windows

auto_generated_guid: 00682c9f-7df4-4df8-950b-6dcaaa3ad9af

Inputs:

| Name | Description | Type | Default Value | |——|————-|——|—————| | script_path | Path in which the script will be written. | path | %TEMP%\| | script_name | Script name (without the extension) | string | AtomicTest|

Attack Commands: Run with

1	command_prompt

! Elevation Required (e.g. root or admin)

c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c cd /d #{script_path} & echo Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell"):Set objExec = objShell.Exec("whoami"):Set objExec = Nothing:Set objShell = Nothing > #{script_name}.vbs & #{script_name}.vbs

Cleanup Commands:

del "#{script_name}.vbs" >nul 2>&1