T1195.003 Compromise Hardware Supply Chain

T1195.003 Compromise Hardware Supply Chain

Sub-technique of: T1195

High-Level Description

Adversaries may manipulate hardware components in products prior to receipt by a final consumer for the purpose of data or system compromise. By modifying hardware or firmware in the supply chain, adversaries can insert a backdoor into consumer networks that may be difficult to detect and give the adversary a high degree of control over the system. Hardware backdoors may be inserted into various devices, such as servers, workstations, network infrastructure, or peripherals.

Kill Chain Phase

• Initial Access (TA0001)

Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows

What to Check

• Identify if Compromise Hardware Supply Chain technique is applicable to target environment
• Check Linux systems for indicators of Compromise Hardware Supply Chain
• Check macOS systems for indicators of Compromise Hardware Supply Chain
• Check Windows systems for indicators of Compromise Hardware Supply Chain
• Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (1 known mitigations)
• Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)

How to Test

Manual Testing

1. Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Compromise Hardware Supply Chain by examining the target platforms (Linux, macOS, Windows).

2. Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1195.003 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.

3. Execute Test: Use tools and methods described in the MITRE ATT&CK page and external references below.

Note: No Atomic Red Team tests available for this technique. See Atomic Red Team GitHub for updates.

Remediation Guide

M1046 Boot Integrity

Use Trusted Platform Module technology and a secure or trusted boot process to prevent system integrity from being compromised. Check the integrity of the existing BIOS or EFI to determine if it is vulnerable to modification.