T1078.001: Default Accounts
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS and the default service account in Kubernetes.
Default accounts are not limited to client machines, rather also include accounts that are preset for equipment such as network devices and computer applications whether they are internal, open source, or commercial. Appliances that come preset with a username and password combination pose a serious threat to organizations that do not change it post installation, as they are easy targets for an adversary. Similarly, adversaries may also utilize publicly disclosed or stolen Private Keys or credential materials to legitimately connect to remote environments via Remote Services.
Positive Technologies products that cover the technique
MaxPatrol SIEM knowledge base
sap_attack_detection: PT-CR-152: SAPASABAP_Delete_Sapstar_And_Login: The SAP* account is deleted and the system is accessed with the default password sap_attack_detection: PT-CR-150: SAPASABAP_Bultin_Accounts_Probing: Attempts to log in with built-in accounts sap_attack_detection: PT-CR-160: SAPASABAP_Using_Bultin_Accounts: Usage of a built-in account sap_suspicious_user_activity: PT-CR-238: SAPASABAP_EARLYWATCH_Connect: Violation of the standard usage scenario for the EARLYWATCH user and client 066 sap_suspicious_user_activity: PT-CR-231: SAPASABAP_Create_Client_And_Login: A user escalated himself privileges in the system clickhouse: PT-CR-1567: ClickHouse_Logon_Same_User_From_Different_Hosts: Attempts to log in to a DBMS under the same account from different hosts are detected clickhouse: PT-CR-1579: ClickHouse_Logon_Same_Host_Different_Users: Attempts to log in to a DBMS under different user accounts from the same host are detected citrix_ns_adc: PT-CR-2579: Citrix_NS_ADC_Login_With_Default_Credentials: An attacker can use the default account to get access to a host capabilities_account_manipulation: PT-CR-2882: CAP_Default_User_Enabling: Unlocking or enabling a default account in application software. Attackers may restore default accounts to gain access, maintain persistence in the system, escalate privileges, or bypass security measures. supply_chain: PT-CR-1765: SupplyChain_Default_Account_Logon: A user logged in or attempted to log in to an application under a default account capabilities_logon: PT-CR-2881: CAP_Default_Account_Logon: Logging in on behalf of a default account. After obtaining account credentials, an attacker can use them for initial access, persistence, privilege escalation, or defense evasion. sap_java_suspicious_user_activity: PT-CR-541: SAPASJAVA_Password_Changed_For_SAP_Standard_Users_And_Logon: The password of a default user was changed, then a user logged in under this account
Detection
| ID | DS0002 | Data source and component | User Account: User Account Authentication | Description | Monitor for an attempt by a user to gain access to a network or computing resource, often by providing credentials |
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| ID | DS0028 | Data source and component | Logon Session: Logon Session Creation | Description | Monitor for newly constructed logon behavior across default accounts that have been activated or logged into. These audits should also include checks on any appliances and applications for default credentials or SSH keys, and if any are discovered, they should be updated immediately. |
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Mitigation
| ID | M1027 | Name | Password Policies | Description | Applications and appliances that utilize default username and password should be changed immediately after the installation, and before deployment to a production environment. |
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