MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Exfiltration
T1048.003
Description
Adversaries may steal data by exfiltrating it over an un-encrypted network protocol other than that of the existing command and control channel. The data may also be sent to an alternate network location from the main command and control server.(Citation: copy_cmd_cisco) Adversaries may opt to obfuscate this data, without the use of encryption, within network protocols that are natively unencrypted (such as HTTP, FTP, or DNS). This may include custom or publicly available encoding/compression algorithms (such as base64) as well as embedding data within protocol headers and fields.
Supported Platforms
ESXi
Linux
macOS
Network Devices
Windows
Created
April 29, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
STIX Data
{'created': '2020-03-15T15:37:47.583Z',
'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'description': 'Adversaries may steal data by exfiltrating it over an '
'un-encrypted network protocol other than that of the existing '
'command and control channel. The data may also be sent to an '
'alternate network location from the main command and control '
'server.(Citation: copy_cmd_cisco)\n'
'\n'
'Adversaries may opt to obfuscate this data, without the use '
'of encryption, within network protocols that are natively '
'unencrypted (such as HTTP, FTP, or DNS). This may include '
'custom or publicly available encoding/compression algorithms '
'(such as base64) as well as embedding data within protocol '
'headers and fields. ',
'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1048.003',
'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1048/003'},
{'description': 'Cisco. (2022, August 16). copy - '
'Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals '
'Command Reference . Retrieved July '
'13, 2022.',
'source_name': 'copy_cmd_cisco',
'url': 'https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/fundamentals/command/cf_command_ref/C_commands.html#wp1068167689'},
{'description': 'Gardiner, J., Cova, M., Nagaraja, '
'S. (2014, February). Command & '
'Control Understanding, Denying and '
'Detecting. Retrieved April 20, 2016.',
'source_name': 'University of Birmingham C2',
'url': 'https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1408/1408.1136.pdf'}],
'id': 'attack-pattern--fb8d023d-45be-47e9-bc51-f56bcae6435b',
'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'exfiltration'}],
'modified': '2025-10-24T17:49:39.079Z',
'name': 'Exfiltration Over Unencrypted Non-C2 Protocol',
'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': ['William Cain', 'Austin Clark, @c2defense'],
'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': ['ESXi', 'Linux', 'macOS', 'Network Devices', 'Windows'],
'x_mitre_version': '2.2'}