MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Description
Adversaries may buy and/or steal SSL/TLS certificates that can be used during targeting. SSL/TLS certificates are designed to instill trust. They include information about the key, information about its owner's identity, and the digital signature of an entity that has verified the certificate's contents are correct. If the signature is valid, and the person examining the certificate trusts the signer, then they know they can use that key to communicate with its owner. Adversaries may purchase or steal SSL/TLS certificates to further their operations, such as encrypting C2 traffic (ex: [Asymmetric Cryptography](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1573/002) with [Web Protocols](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/001)) or even enabling [Adversary-in-the-Middle](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1557) if the certificate is trusted or otherwise added to the root of trust (i.e. [Install Root Certificate](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1553/004)). The purchase of digital certificates may be done using a front organization or using information stolen from a previously compromised entity that allows the adversary to validate to a certificate provider as that entity. Adversaries may also steal certificate materials directly from a compromised third-party, including from certificate authorities.(Citation: DiginotarCompromise) Adversaries may register or hijack domains that they will later purchase an SSL/TLS certificate for. Certificate authorities exist that allow adversaries to acquire SSL/TLS certificates, such as domain validation certificates, for free.(Citation: Let's Encrypt FAQ) After obtaining a digital certificate, an adversary may then install that certificate (see [Install Digital Certificate](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1608/003)) on infrastructure under their control.
Supported Platforms
Created
April 29, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
STIX Data
{'created': '2020-10-01T02:14:18.044Z',
'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'description': 'Adversaries may buy and/or steal SSL/TLS certificates that '
'can be used during targeting. SSL/TLS certificates are '
'designed to instill trust. They include information about the '
"key, information about its owner's identity, and the digital "
"signature of an entity that has verified the certificate's "
'contents are correct. If the signature is valid, and the '
'person examining the certificate trusts the signer, then they '
'know they can use that key to communicate with its owner.\n'
'\n'
'Adversaries may purchase or steal SSL/TLS certificates to '
'further their operations, such as encrypting C2 traffic (ex: '
'[Asymmetric '
'Cryptography](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1573/002) '
'with [Web '
'Protocols](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/001)) or '
'even enabling '
'[Adversary-in-the-Middle](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1557) '
'if the certificate is trusted or otherwise added to the root '
'of trust (i.e. [Install Root '
'Certificate](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1553/004)). '
'The purchase of digital certificates may be done using a '
'front organization or using information stolen from a '
'previously compromised entity that allows the adversary to '
'validate to a certificate provider as that entity. '
'Adversaries may also steal certificate materials directly '
'from a compromised third-party, including from certificate '
'authorities.(Citation: DiginotarCompromise) Adversaries may '
'register or hijack domains that they will later purchase an '
'SSL/TLS certificate for.\n'
'\n'
'Certificate authorities exist that allow adversaries to '
'acquire SSL/TLS certificates, such as domain validation '
"certificates, for free.(Citation: Let's Encrypt FAQ)\n"
'\n'
'After obtaining a digital certificate, an adversary may then '
'install that certificate (see [Install Digital '
'Certificate](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1608/003)) '
'on infrastructure under their control.',
'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1588.004',
'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1588/004'},
{'description': 'Fisher, D. (2012, October 31). Final '
'Report on DigiNotar Hack Shows Total '
'Compromise of CA Servers. Retrieved '
'March 6, 2017.',
'source_name': 'DiginotarCompromise',
'url': 'https://threatpost.com/final-report-diginotar-hack-shows-total-compromise-ca-servers-103112/77170/'},
{'description': 'Insikt Group. (2019, June 18). A '
'Multi-Method Approach to Identifying '
'Rogue Cobalt Strike Servers. '
'Retrieved September 16, 2024.',
'source_name': 'Recorded Future Beacon Certificates',
'url': 'https://www.recordedfuture.com/research/cobalt-strike-servers'},
{'description': 'Kovar, R. (2017, December 11). Tall '
'Tales of Hunting with TLS/SSL '
'Certificates. Retrieved October 16, '
'2020.',
'source_name': 'Splunk Kovar Certificates 2017',
'url': 'https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/security/tall-tales-of-hunting-with-tls-ssl-certificates.html'},
{'description': "Let's Encrypt. (2020, April 23). "
"Let's Encrypt FAQ. Retrieved October "
'15, 2020.',
'source_name': "Let's Encrypt FAQ",
'url': 'https://letsencrypt.org/docs/faq/'}],
'id': 'attack-pattern--19401639-28d0-4c3c-adcc-bc2ba22f6421',
'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'resource-development'}],
'modified': '2025-10-24T17:48:27.525Z',
'name': 'Digital Certificates',
'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': ['PRE'],
'x_mitre_version': '1.2'}