MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Description
Adversaries may make new tokens and impersonate users to escalate privileges and bypass access controls. For example, if an adversary has a username and password but the user is not logged onto the system the adversary can then create a logon session for the user using the `LogonUser` function.(Citation: LogonUserW function) The function will return a copy of the new session's access token and the adversary can use `SetThreadToken` to assign the token to a thread. This behavior is distinct from [Token Impersonation/Theft](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/001) in that this refers to creating a new user token instead of stealing or duplicating an existing one.
Supported Platforms
Created
April 29, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
STIX Data
{'created': '2020-02-18T18:03:37.481Z',
'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'description': 'Adversaries may make new tokens and impersonate users to '
'escalate privileges and bypass access controls. For example, '
'if an adversary has a username and password but the user is '
'not logged onto the system the adversary can then create a '
'logon session for the user using the `LogonUser` '
'function.(Citation: LogonUserW function) The function will '
"return a copy of the new session's access token and the "
'adversary can use `SetThreadToken` to assign the token to a '
'thread.\n'
'\n'
'This behavior is distinct from [Token '
'Impersonation/Theft](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/001) '
'in that this refers to creating a new user token instead of '
'stealing or duplicating an existing one.',
'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1134.003',
'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1134/003'},
{'description': 'Mathers, B. (2017, March 7). Command '
'line process auditing. Retrieved '
'April 21, 2017.',
'source_name': 'Microsoft Command-line Logging',
'url': 'https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server-docs/identity/ad-ds/manage/component-updates/command-line-process-auditing'},
{'description': 'Microsoft. (2023, March 10). '
'LogonUserW function (winbase.h). '
'Retrieved January 8, 2024.',
'source_name': 'LogonUserW function',
'url': 'https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/winbase/nf-winbase-logonuserw'}],
'id': 'attack-pattern--8cdeb020-e31e-4f88-a582-f53dcfbda819',
'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'defense-evasion'},
{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'privilege-escalation'}],
'modified': '2025-10-24T17:49:05.200Z',
'name': 'Make and Impersonate Token',
'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': ['Jonny Johnson'],
'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': ['Windows'],
'x_mitre_version': '1.2'}