MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Credential Access T1552.008
Description

Adversaries may directly collect unsecured credentials stored or passed through user communication services. Credentials may be sent and stored in user chat communication applications such as email, chat services like Slack or Teams, collaboration tools like Jira or Trello, and any other services that support user communication. Users may share various forms of credentials (such as usernames and passwords, API keys, or authentication tokens) on private or public corporate internal communications channels. Rather than accessing the stored chat logs (i.e., [Credentials In Files](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/001)), adversaries may directly access credentials within these services on the user endpoint, through servers hosting the services, or through administrator portals for cloud hosted services. Adversaries may also compromise integration tools like Slack Workflows to automatically search through messages to extract user credentials. These credentials may then be abused to perform follow-on activities such as lateral movement or privilege escalation (Citation: Slack Security Risks).

Supported Platforms
SaaS Office Suite
Created

April 29, 2026

Last Updated

April 29, 2026

STIX Data
{'created': '2023-03-14T14:38:03.673Z',
 'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'description': 'Adversaries may directly collect unsecured credentials stored '
                'or passed through user communication services. Credentials '
                'may be sent and stored in user chat communication '
                'applications such as email, chat services like Slack or '
                'Teams, collaboration tools like Jira or Trello, and any other '
                'services that support user communication. Users may share '
                'various forms of credentials (such as usernames and '
                'passwords, API keys, or authentication tokens) on private or '
                'public corporate internal communications channels.\n'
                '\n'
                'Rather than accessing the stored chat logs (i.e., '
                '[Credentials In '
                'Files](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/001)), '
                'adversaries may directly access credentials within these '
                'services on the user endpoint, through servers hosting the '
                'services, or through administrator portals for cloud hosted '
                'services. Adversaries may also compromise integration tools '
                'like Slack Workflows to automatically search through messages '
                'to extract user credentials. These credentials may then be '
                'abused to perform follow-on activities such as lateral '
                'movement or privilege escalation (Citation: Slack Security '
                'Risks).',
 'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1552.008',
                          'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
                          'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/008'},
                         {'description': 'Michael Osakwe. (2020, November 18). '
                                         '4 SaaS and Slack Security Risks to '
                                         'Consider. Retrieved March 17, 2023.',
                          'source_name': 'Slack Security Risks',
                          'url': 'https://www.nightfall.ai/blog/saas-slack-security-risks-2020'}],
 'id': 'attack-pattern--9664ad0e-789e-40ac-82e2-d7b17fbe8fb3',
 'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
                        'phase_name': 'credential-access'}],
 'modified': '2025-04-15T21:56:22.979Z',
 'name': 'Chat Messages',
 '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': ['Douglas Weir'],
 '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': ['SaaS', 'Office Suite'],
 'x_mitre_version': '1.1'}
Quick Actions
Related Threat Actors (1)
LAPSUS$
High