TIARAS - T1218: System Binary Proxy Execution

MITRE ATT&CK Technique

Defense Evasion T1218

Description

Adversaries may bypass process and/or signature-based defenses by proxying execution of malicious content with signed, or otherwise trusted, binaries. Binaries used in this technique are often Microsoft-signed files, indicating that they have been either downloaded from Microsoft or are already native in the operating system.(Citation: LOLBAS Project) Binaries signed with trusted digital certificates can typically execute on Windows systems protected by digital signature validation. Several Microsoft signed binaries that are default on Windows installations can be used to proxy execution of other files or commands. Similarly, on Linux systems adversaries may abuse trusted binaries such as <code>split</code> to proxy execution of malicious commands.(Citation: split man page)(Citation: GTFO split)

Supported Platforms

Windows Linux macOS

Created

April 29, 2026

Last Updated

April 29, 2026

STIX Data

{'created': '2018-04-18T17:59:24.739Z',
 'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'description': 'Adversaries may bypass process and/or signature-based '
                'defenses by proxying execution of malicious content with '
                'signed, or otherwise trusted, binaries. Binaries used in this '
                'technique are often Microsoft-signed files, indicating that '
                'they have been either downloaded from Microsoft or are '
                'already native in the operating system.(Citation: LOLBAS '
                'Project) Binaries signed with trusted digital certificates '
                'can typically execute on Windows systems protected by digital '
                'signature validation. Several Microsoft signed binaries that '
                'are default on Windows installations can be used to proxy '
                'execution of other files or commands.\n'
                '\n'
                'Similarly, on Linux systems adversaries may abuse trusted '
                'binaries such as <code>split</code> to proxy execution of '
                'malicious commands.(Citation: split man page)(Citation: GTFO '
                'split)',
 'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1218',
                          'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
                          'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1218'},
                         {'description': 'GTFOBins. (2020, November 13). '
                                         'split. Retrieved April 18, 2022.',
                          'source_name': 'GTFO split',
                          'url': 'https://gtfobins.github.io/gtfobins/split/'},
                         {'description': 'Oddvar Moe et al. (2022, February).  '
                                         'Living Off The Land Binaries, '
                                         'Scripts and Libraries. Retrieved '
                                         'March 7, 2022.',
                          'source_name': 'LOLBAS Project',
                          'url': 'https://github.com/LOLBAS-Project/LOLBAS#criteria'},
                         {'description': 'Torbjorn Granlund, Richard M. '
                                         'Stallman. (2020, March null). '
                                         'split(1) — Linux manual page. '
                                         'Retrieved March 25, 2022.',
                          'source_name': 'split man page',
                          'url': 'https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/split.1.html'}],
 'id': 'attack-pattern--457c7820-d331-465a-915e-42f85500ccc4',
 'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
                        'phase_name': 'defense-evasion'}],
 'modified': '2025-10-24T17:48:43.406Z',
 'name': 'System Binary Proxy Execution',
 'object_marking_refs': ['marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168'],
 'revoked': False,
 'spec_version': '2.1',
 'type': 'attack-pattern',
 'x_mitre_attack_spec_version': '3.2.0',
 'x_mitre_contributors': ['Nishan Maharjan, @loki248',
                          'Hans Christoffer Gaardløs',
                          'Praetorian',
                          'Wes Hurd'],
 'x_mitre_deprecated': False,
 'x_mitre_detection': '',
 'x_mitre_domains': ['enterprise-attack'],
 'x_mitre_is_subtechnique': False,
 'x_mitre_modified_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'x_mitre_platforms': ['Windows', 'Linux', 'macOS'],
 'x_mitre_version': '3.2'}