T1600: Weaken Encryption
Adversaries may compromise a network device’s encryption capability in order to bypass encryption that would otherwise protect data communications.
Encryption can be used to protect transmitted network traffic to maintain its confidentiality (protect against unauthorized disclosure) and integrity (protect against unauthorized changes). Encryption ciphers are used to convert a plaintext message to ciphertext and can be computationally intensive to decipher without the associated decryption key. Typically, longer keys increase the cost of cryptanalysis, or decryption without the key.
Adversaries can compromise and manipulate devices that perform encryption of network traffic. For example, through behaviors such as Modify System Image, Reduce Key Space, and Disable Crypto Hardware, an adversary can negatively effect and/or eliminate a device’s ability to securely encrypt network traffic. This poses a greater risk of unauthorized disclosure and may help facilitate data manipulation, Credential Access, or Collection efforts.
How it's found
Detection Strategy for Weaken Encryption on Network Devices: Defenders may observe unauthorized modifications to encryption-related configuration files, firmware, or crypto modules on network devices. Suspicious patterns include changes to cipher suite configurations, unexpected firmware updates affecting crypto libraries, disabling of hardware cryptographic accelerators, or reductions in key length policies. Correlating configuration changes with anomalies in encrypted traffic characteristics (e.g., weaker ciphers or sudden plaintext transmission) strengthens detection.
Sub-techniques
T1600.001: Reduce Key Space
Adversaries may reduce the level of effort required to decrypt data transmitted over the network by reducing the cipher strength of encrypted communications. Adversaries can weaken the encryption software on a compromised network device by reducing the key size used by the software to convert plaintext to ciphertext (e.g., from hundreds or thousands of bytes to just a couple of bytes). As a result, adversaries dramatically reduce the amount of effort needed to decrypt the protected information without the key. Adversaries may modify the key size used and other encryption parameters using specialized commands in a Network Device CLI introduced to the system through Modify System Image to change the configuration of the device.
T1600.002: Disable Crypto Hardware
Adversaries disable a network device’s dedicated hardware encryption, which may enable them to leverage weaknesses in software encryption in order to reduce the effort involved in collecting, manipulating, and exfiltrating transmitted data. Many network devices such as routers, switches, and firewalls, perform encryption on network traffic to secure transmission across networks. Often, these devices are equipped with special, dedicated encryption hardware to greatly increase the speed of the encryption process as well as to prevent malicious tampering. When an adversary takes control of such a device, they may disable the dedicated hardware, for example, through use of Modify System Image, forcing the use of software to perform encryption on general processors. This is typically used in conjunction with attacks to weaken the strength of the cipher in software (e.g., Reduce Key Space).
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 T1600 Weaken Encryption?
Adversaries may compromise a network device’s encryption capability in order to bypass encryption that would otherwise protect data communications. Encryption can be used to protect transmitted network traffic to maintain its confidentiality (protect against unauthorized disclosure) and integrity (protect against unauthorized changes). Encryption ciphers are used to convert a plaintext message to ciphertext and can be computationally intensive to decipher without the associated decryption key. Typically, longer keys increase the cost of cryptanalysis, or decryption without the key. Adversaries can compromise and manipulate devices that perform encryption of network traffic. For example, through behaviors such as Modify System Image, Reduce Key Space, and Disable Crypto Hardware, an adversary can negatively effect and/or eliminate a device’s ability to securely encrypt network traffic. This poses a greater risk of unauthorized disclosure and may help facilitate data manipulation, Credential Access, or Collection efforts.
Which tactics does T1600 belong to?
T1600 maps to the Defense Impairment tactic.
Does TurboPentest test for Weaken Encryption?
This weakness is not covered by the automated black-box pentest. IntegSec pentesters cover it in a manual engagement.
Related MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- Persistence, Defense ImpairmentT1112: Modify Registry
- Defense ImpairmentT1207: Rogue Domain Controller
- Defense ImpairmentT1222: File and Directory Permissions Modification
- Privilege Escalation, Defense ImpairmentT1484: Domain or Tenant Policy Modification
- Defense ImpairmentT1553: Subvert Trust Controls
- Persistence, Defense Impairment, Credential AccessT1556: Modify Authentication Process
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.
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