MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Description
Adversaries may create or modify container or container cluster management tools that run as daemons, agents, or services on individual hosts. These include software for creating and managing individual containers, such as Docker and Podman, as well as container cluster node-level agents such as kubelet. By modifying these services, an adversary may be able to achieve persistence or escalate their privileges on a host. For example, by using the `docker run` or `podman run` command with the `restart=always` directive, a container can be configured to persistently restart on the host.(Citation: AquaSec TeamTNT 2023) A user with access to the (rootful) docker command may also be able to escalate their privileges on the host.(Citation: GTFOBins Docker) In Kubernetes environments, DaemonSets allow an adversary to persistently [Deploy Container](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1610)s on all nodes, including ones added later to the cluster.(Citation: Aquasec Kubernetes Attack 2023)(Citation: Kubernetes DaemonSet) Pods can also be deployed to specific nodes using the `nodeSelector` or `nodeName` fields in the pod spec.(Citation: Kubernetes Assigning Pods to Nodes)(Citation: AppSecco Kubernetes Namespace Breakout 2020) Note that containers can also be configured to run as [Systemd Service](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/002)s.(Citation: Podman Systemd)(Citation: Docker Systemd)
Supported Platforms
Created
April 29, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
STIX Data
{'created': '2024-02-15T13:41:46.784Z',
'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'description': 'Adversaries may create or modify container or container '
'cluster management tools that run as daemons, agents, or '
'services on individual hosts. These include software for '
'creating and managing individual containers, such as Docker '
'and Podman, as well as container cluster node-level agents '
'such as kubelet. By modifying these services, an adversary '
'may be able to achieve persistence or escalate their '
'privileges on a host.\n'
'\n'
'For example, by using the `docker run` or `podman run` '
'command with the `restart=always` directive, a container can '
'be configured to persistently restart on the host.(Citation: '
'AquaSec TeamTNT 2023) A user with access to the (rootful) '
'docker command may also be able to escalate their privileges '
'on the host.(Citation: GTFOBins Docker)\n'
'\n'
'In Kubernetes environments, DaemonSets allow an adversary to '
'persistently [Deploy '
'Container](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1610)s on all '
'nodes, including ones added later to the cluster.(Citation: '
'Aquasec Kubernetes Attack 2023)(Citation: Kubernetes '
'DaemonSet) Pods can also be deployed to specific nodes using '
'the `nodeSelector` or `nodeName` fields in the pod '
'spec.(Citation: Kubernetes Assigning Pods to Nodes)(Citation: '
'AppSecco Kubernetes Namespace Breakout 2020)\n'
'\n'
'Note that containers can also be configured to run as '
'[Systemd '
'Service](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/002)s.(Citation: '
'Podman Systemd)(Citation: Docker Systemd)',
'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1543.005',
'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1543/005'},
{'description': 'Abhisek Datta. (2020, March 18). '
'Kubernetes Namespace Breakout using '
'Insecure Host Path Volume — Part 1. '
'Retrieved January 16, 2024.',
'source_name': 'AppSecco Kubernetes Namespace '
'Breakout 2020',
'url': 'https://blog.appsecco.com/kubernetes-namespace-breakout-using-insecure-host-path-volume-part-1-b382f2a6e216'},
{'description': 'Docker. (n.d.). Start containers '
'automatically. Retrieved February '
'15, 2024.',
'source_name': 'Docker Systemd',
'url': 'https://docs.docker.com/config/containers/start-containers-automatically/'},
{'description': 'GTFOBins. (n.d.). docker. Retrieved '
'February 15, 2024.',
'source_name': 'GTFOBins Docker',
'url': 'https://gtfobins.github.io/gtfobins/docker/'},
{'description': 'Kubernetes. (n.d.). Assigning Pods '
'to Nodes. Retrieved February 15, '
'2024.',
'source_name': 'Kubernetes Assigning Pods to Nodes',
'url': 'https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/scheduling-eviction/assign-pod-node/'},
{'description': 'Kubernetes. (n.d.). DaemonSet. '
'Retrieved February 15, 2024.',
'source_name': 'Kubernetes DaemonSet',
'url': 'https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/workloads/controllers/daemonset/'},
{'description': 'Michael Katchinskiy, Assaf Morag. '
'(2023, April 21). First-Ever Attack '
'Leveraging Kubernetes RBAC to '
'Backdoor Clusters. Retrieved July '
'14, 2023.',
'source_name': 'Aquasec Kubernetes Attack 2023',
'url': 'https://blog.aquasec.com/leveraging-kubernetes-rbac-to-backdoor-clusters'},
{'description': 'Ofek Itach and Assaf Morag. (2023, '
'July 13). TeamTNT Reemerged with New '
'Aggressive Cloud Campaign. Retrieved '
'February 15, 2024.',
'source_name': 'AquaSec TeamTNT 2023',
'url': 'https://blog.aquasec.com/teamtnt-reemerged-with-new-aggressive-cloud-campaign'},
{'description': 'Valentin Rothberg. (2022, March 16). '
'How to run pods as systemd services '
'with Podman. Retrieved February 15, '
'2024.',
'source_name': 'Podman Systemd',
'url': 'https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/podman-run-pods-systemd-services'}],
'id': 'attack-pattern--b0e54bf7-835e-4f44-bd8e-62f431b9b76a',
'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'persistence'},
{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'privilege-escalation'}],
'modified': '2025-04-15T22:10:00.252Z',
'name': 'Container Service',
'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_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': ['Containers'],
'x_mitre_version': '1.0'}