166 terms · 75/46/45
Technique № 039 · class: C2

Command & Control

Command and control communication involves establishing a persistent channel between the attacker and the compromised system for sending commands and receiving results. The attacker uses this channel to manage malware, launch new attack phases, and retrieve data.

Term

description · examples · notes

Command and control communication involves establishing a persistent channel between the attacker and the compromised system for sending commands and receiving results. The attacker uses this channel to manage malware, launch new attack phases, and retrieve data.

Description

Communication is often disguised to resemble normal network traffic, using standard protocols, encryption, and legitimate services as intermediaries.

Examples

  • Malware periodically contacting a command server via encrypted HTTP requests
  • Using DNS queries to transfer commands and data in small segments
  • Communication through a legitimate messaging platform or cloud service
  • Decentralized communication via a peer-to-peer network

Notes

  • Analysis of unusual DNS patterns and encrypted connections to unknown destinations can reveal command and control communication.

Mentioned in the news

tags
Composite

Threats

used by 12

Defenses

countered by 12