{'created': '2020-03-15T16:21:45.131Z',
 'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'description': 'Adversaries may communicate using application layer protocols '
                'associated with electronic mail delivery to avoid '
                'detection/network filtering by blending in with existing '
                'traffic. Commands to the remote system, and often the results '
                'of those commands, will be embedded within the protocol '
                'traffic between the client and server. \n'
                '\n'
                'Protocols such as SMTP/S, POP3/S, and IMAP that carry '
                'electronic mail may be very common in environments.  Packets '
                'produced from these protocols may have many fields and '
                'headers in which data can be concealed. Data could also be '
                'concealed within the email messages themselves. An adversary '
                'may abuse these protocols to communicate with systems under '
                'their control within a victim network while also mimicking '
                'normal, expected traffic.(Citation: FireEye APT28) ',
 'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1071.003',
                          'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
                          'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/003'},
                         {'description': 'FireEye. (2015). APT28: A WINDOW '
                                         'INTO RUSSIA’S CYBER ESPIONAGE '
                                         'OPERATIONS?. Retrieved August 19, '
                                         '2015.',
                          'source_name': 'FireEye APT28',
                          'url': 'https://web.archive.org/web/20151022204649/https://www.fireeye.com/content/dam/fireeye-www/global/en/current-threats/pdfs/rpt-apt28.pdf'},
                         {'description': 'Gardiner, J.,  Cova, M., Nagaraja, '
                                         'S. (2014, February). Command & '
                                         'Control Understanding, Denying and '
                                         'Detecting. Retrieved April 20, 2016.',
                          'source_name': 'University of Birmingham C2',
                          'url': 'https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1408/1408.1136.pdf'}],
 'id': 'attack-pattern--54b4c251-1f0e-4eba-ba6b-dbc7a6f6f06b',
 'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
                        'phase_name': 'command-and-control'}],
 'modified': '2025-10-24T17:48:48.564Z',
 'name': 'Mail Protocols',
 'object_marking_refs': ['marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168'],
 'revoked': False,
 'spec_version': '2.1',
 'type': 'attack-pattern',
 'x_mitre_attack_spec_version': '3.3.0',
 'x_mitre_contributors': ['Don Le, Stifel Financial'],
 'x_mitre_deprecated': False,
 'x_mitre_detection': '',
 'x_mitre_domains': ['enterprise-attack'],
 'x_mitre_is_subtechnique': True,
 'x_mitre_modified_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'x_mitre_platforms': ['Linux', 'macOS', 'Network Devices', 'Windows'],
 'x_mitre_version': '1.2'}

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