MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Description
An adversary may use legitimate remote access hardware to establish an interactive command and control channel to target systems within networks. These services, including IP-based keyboard, video, or mouse (KVM) devices such as TinyPilot and PiKVM, are commonly used as legitimate tools and may be allowed by peripheral device policies within a target environment. Remote access hardware may be physically installed and used post-compromise as an alternate communications channel for redundant access or as a way to establish an interactive remote session with the target system. Using hardware-based remote access tools may allow threat actors to bypass software security solutions and gain more control over the compromised device(s).(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 North Korean IT Workers 2024)(Citation: Google Cloud Threat Intelligence DPRK IT Workers 2024)
Supported Platforms
Created
April 29, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
STIX Data
{'created': '2025-03-26T15:36:18.409Z',
'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'description': 'An adversary may use legitimate remote access hardware to '
'establish an interactive command and control channel to '
'target systems within networks. These services, including '
'IP-based keyboard, video, or mouse (KVM) devices such as '
'TinyPilot and PiKVM, are commonly used as legitimate tools '
'and may be allowed by peripheral device policies within a '
'target environment. \n'
'\n'
'Remote access hardware may be physically installed and used '
'post-compromise as an alternate communications channel for '
'redundant access or as a way to establish an interactive '
'remote session with the target system. Using hardware-based '
'remote access tools may allow threat actors to bypass '
'software security solutions and gain more control over the '
'compromised device(s).(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 North '
'Korean IT Workers 2024)(Citation: Google Cloud Threat '
'Intelligence DPRK IT Workers 2024)',
'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1219.003',
'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1219/003'},
{'description': 'Codi Starks, Michael Barnhart, '
'Taylor Long, Mike Lombardi, Joseph '
'Pisano, and Alice Revelli. (2024, '
'September 23). Staying a Step Ahead: '
'Mitigating the DPRK IT Worker '
'Threat. Retrieved March 26, 2025.',
'source_name': 'Google Cloud Threat Intelligence '
'DPRK IT Workers 2024',
'url': 'https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/mitigating-dprk-it-worker-threat/'},
{'description': 'Evan Gordenker. (2024, November 13). '
'Global Companies Are Unknowingly '
'Paying North Koreans: Here’s How to '
'Catch Them. Retrieved March 26, '
'2025.',
'source_name': 'Palo Alto Unit 42 North Korean IT '
'Workers 2024',
'url': 'https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/north-korean-it-workers/'}],
'id': 'attack-pattern--a9fb6b3f-4a3c-4703-a4f1-f55f83d1e017',
'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'command-and-control'}],
'modified': '2025-05-02T19:13:42.314Z',
'name': 'Remote Access Hardware',
'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': ['Joe Gumke, U.S. Bank',
'Shwetank Murarka',
'Michael Davis, ServiceNow Threat Intelligence'],
'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', 'Windows'],
'x_mitre_version': '1.0'}