MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Command and Control T1219.003
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
Linux macOS Windows
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'}
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