T1563: Remote Service Session Hijacking
Adversaries may take control of preexisting sessions with remote services to move laterally in an environment. Users may use valid credentials to log into a service specifically designed to accept remote connections, such as telnet, SSH, and RDP. When a user logs into a service, a session will be established that will allow them to maintain a continuous interaction with that service.
Adversaries may commandeer these sessions to carry out actions on remote systems. Remote Service Session Hijacking differs from use of Remote Services because it hijacks an existing session rather than creating a new session using Valid Accounts.
How it's found
Detection of Remote Service Session Hijacking: Detection of anomalous RDP or remote service session activity where a logon session is hijacked rather than newly created. Indicators include mismatched user credentials vs. active session tokens, service session takeovers without corresponding successful logon events, or RDP shadowing activity without user consent. Detection of SSH/Telnet session hijacking via discrepancies between authentication logs and active session tables. Adversary behavior includes reusing or stealing active PTY sessions, attaching to screen/tmux, or issuing commands without corresponding login events. Detection of hijacked VNC or SSH sessions on macOS where adversaries take over an existing session rather than authenticating directly. Indicators include process execution from active sessions without new logon events, manipulation of TTY sessions, or anomalous network activity tied to dormant sessions.
Sub-techniques
T1563.001: SSH Hijacking
Adversaries may hijack a legitimate user's SSH session to move laterally within an environment. Secure Shell (SSH) is a standard means of remote access on Linux and macOS systems. It allows a user to connect to another system via an encrypted tunnel, commonly authenticating through a password, certificate or the use of an asymmetric encryption key pair. In order to move laterally from a compromised host, adversaries may take advantage of trust relationships established with other systems via public key authentication in active SSH sessions by hijacking an existing connection to another system. This may occur through compromising the SSH agent itself or by having access to the agent's socket. If an adversary is able to obtain root access, then hijacking SSH sessions is likely trivial. SSH Hijacking differs from use of SSH because it hijacks an existing SSH session rather than creating a new session using Valid Accounts.
T1563.002: RDP Hijacking
Adversaries may hijack a legitimate user’s remote desktop session to move laterally within an environment. Remote desktop is a common feature in operating systems. It allows a user to log into an interactive session with a system desktop graphical user interface on a remote system. Microsoft refers to its implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) as Remote Desktop Services (RDS). Adversaries may perform RDP session hijacking which involves stealing a legitimate user's remote session. Typically, a user is notified when someone else is trying to steal their session. With System permissions and using Terminal Services Console, `c:\windows\system32\tscon.exe [session number to be stolen]`, an adversary can hijack a session without the need for credentials or prompts to the user. This can be done remotely or locally and with active or disconnected sessions. It can also lead to Remote System Discovery and Privilege Escalation by stealing a Domain Admin or higher privileged account session. All of this can be done by using native Windows commands, but it has also been added as a feature in red teaming tools.
Standards mapping
Where this fits in a TurboPentest engagement
This weakness is not covered by the automated black-box pentest. IntegSec pentesters cover it in a manual engagement.
Frequently asked questions
What is T1563 Remote Service Session Hijacking?
Adversaries may take control of preexisting sessions with remote services to move laterally in an environment. Users may use valid credentials to log into a service specifically designed to accept remote connections, such as telnet, SSH, and RDP. When a user logs into a service, a session will be established that will allow them to maintain a continuous interaction with that service. Adversaries may commandeer these sessions to carry out actions on remote systems. Remote Service Session Hijacking differs from use of Remote Services because it hijacks an existing session rather than creating a new session using Valid Accounts.
Which tactics does T1563 belong to?
T1563 maps to the Lateral Movement tactic.
Does TurboPentest test for Remote Service Session Hijacking?
This weakness is not covered by the automated black-box pentest. IntegSec pentesters cover it in a manual engagement.
Related MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- Lateral MovementT1021: Remote Services
- Execution, Lateral MovementT1072: Software Deployment Tools
- Lateral MovementT1080: Taint Shared Content
- Initial Access, Lateral MovementT1091: Replication Through Removable Media
- Lateral MovementT1210: Exploitation of Remote Services
- Lateral MovementT1534: Internal Spearphishing
About this reference
These security references are maintained by IntegSec, an offensive-security firm whose team holds CISSP, OSCP, and OSCE certifications and has run thousands of penetration tests. Content is kept current as tools, standards, and attack techniques evolve.
Find these issues before an attacker does
TurboPentest runs an agentic AI pentest against your target and reports findings with proof, from $99 per target.
Start a pentest