MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Defense Evasion
T1216
Description
Adversaries may use trusted scripts, often signed with certificates, to proxy the execution of malicious files. Several Microsoft signed scripts that have been downloaded from Microsoft or are default on Windows installations can be used to proxy execution of other files.(Citation: LOLBAS Project) This behavior may be abused by adversaries to execute malicious files that could bypass application control and signature validation on systems.(Citation: GitHub Ultimate AppLocker Bypass List)
Supported Platforms
Windows
Created
April 29, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
STIX Data
{'created': '2018-04-18T17:59:24.739Z',
'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'description': 'Adversaries may use trusted scripts, often signed with '
'certificates, to proxy the execution of malicious files. '
'Several Microsoft signed scripts that have been downloaded '
'from Microsoft or are default on Windows installations can be '
'used to proxy execution of other files.(Citation: LOLBAS '
'Project) This behavior may be abused by adversaries to '
'execute malicious files that could bypass application control '
'and signature validation on systems.(Citation: GitHub '
'Ultimate AppLocker Bypass List)',
'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1216',
'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1216'},
{'description': 'Moe, O. (2018, March 1). Ultimate '
'AppLocker Bypass List. Retrieved '
'April 10, 2018.',
'source_name': 'GitHub Ultimate AppLocker Bypass '
'List',
'url': 'https://github.com/api0cradle/UltimateAppLockerByPassList'},
{'description': 'Oddvar Moe et al. (2022, February). '
'Living Off The Land Binaries, '
'Scripts and Libraries. Retrieved '
'March 7, 2022.',
'source_name': 'LOLBAS Project',
'url': 'https://github.com/LOLBAS-Project/LOLBAS#criteria'}],
'id': 'attack-pattern--f6fe9070-7a65-49ea-ae72-76292f42cebe',
'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'defense-evasion'}],
'modified': '2025-10-24T17:49:37.665Z',
'name': 'System Script Proxy Execution',
'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': ['Praetorian', 'Wes Hurd'],
'x_mitre_deprecated': False,
'x_mitre_detection': '',
'x_mitre_domains': ['enterprise-attack'],
'x_mitre_is_subtechnique': False,
'x_mitre_modified_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'x_mitre_platforms': ['Windows'],
'x_mitre_version': '2.1'}