T1218.007 Msiexec

T1218.007 Msiexec

Sub-technique of: T1218

High-Level Description

Adversaries may abuse msiexec.exe to proxy execution of malicious payloads. Msiexec.exe is the command-line utility for the Windows Installer and is thus commonly associated with executing installation packages (.msi). The Msiexec.exe binary may also be digitally signed by Microsoft.

Adversaries may abuse msiexec.exe to launch local or network accessible MSI files. Msiexec.exe can also execute DLLs. Since it may be signed and native on Windows systems, msiexec.exe can be used to bypass application control solutions that do not account for its potential abuse. Msiexec.exe execution may also be elevated to SYSTEM privileges if the AlwaysInstallElevated policy is enabled.

Kill Chain Phase

• Defense Evasion (TA0005)

Platforms: Windows

What to Check

• Identify if Msiexec technique is applicable to target environment
• Check Windows systems for indicators of Msiexec
• Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (2 known mitigations)
• Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)

How to Test

Atomic Red Team Tests

The following tests are from Atomic Red Team and provide actionable ways to test this technique:

Atomic Test 1: Msiexec.exe - Execute Local MSI file with embedded JScript

Executes an MSI containing embedded JScript code using msiexec.exe

Supported Platforms: windows

#{msi_exe} /q /#{action} "#{msi_payload}"

Dependencies: