MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Description
Adversaries may communicate using the Domain Name System (DNS) application layer protocol to avoid detection/network filtering by blending in with existing traffic. Commands to the remote system, and often the results of those commands, will be embedded within the protocol traffic between the client and server. The DNS protocol serves an administrative function in computer networking and thus may be very common in environments. DNS traffic may also be allowed even before network authentication is completed. DNS packets contain many fields and headers in which data can be concealed. Often known as DNS tunneling, adversaries may abuse DNS to communicate with systems under their control within a victim network while also mimicking normal, expected traffic.(Citation: PAN DNS Tunneling)(Citation: Medium DnsTunneling) DNS beaconing may be used to send commands to remote systems via DNS queries. A DNS beacon is created by tunneling DNS traffic (i.e. [Protocol Tunneling](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1572)). The commands may be embedded into different DNS records, for example, TXT or A records.(Citation: OilRig Uses Updated BONDUPDATER to Target Middle Eastern Government) DNS beacons may be difficult to detect because the beacons infrequently communicate with infected devices.(Citation: DNS Beacons) Infrequent communication conceals the malicious DNS traffic with normal DNS traffic.
Supported Platforms
Created
April 29, 2026
Last Updated
April 29, 2026
STIX Data
{'created': '2020-03-15T16:27:31.768Z',
'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
'description': 'Adversaries may communicate using the Domain Name System '
'(DNS) application layer protocol to avoid detection/network '
'filtering by blending in with existing traffic. Commands to '
'the remote system, and often the results of those commands, '
'will be embedded within the protocol traffic between the '
'client and server. \n'
'\n'
'The DNS protocol serves an administrative function in '
'computer networking and thus may be very common in '
'environments. DNS traffic may also be allowed even before '
'network authentication is completed. DNS packets contain many '
'fields and headers in which data can be concealed. Often '
'known as DNS tunneling, adversaries may abuse DNS to '
'communicate with systems under their control within a victim '
'network while also mimicking normal, expected '
'traffic.(Citation: PAN DNS Tunneling)(Citation: Medium '
'DnsTunneling)\n'
'\n'
'DNS beaconing may be used to send commands to remote systems '
'via DNS queries. A DNS beacon is created by tunneling DNS '
'traffic (i.e.\u202f[Protocol '
'Tunneling](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1572)). The '
'commands may be embedded into different DNS records, for '
'example, TXT or A records.(Citation: OilRig Uses Updated '
'BONDUPDATER to Target Middle Eastern Government) DNS beacons '
'may be difficult to detect because the beacons infrequently '
'communicate with infected devices.(Citation: DNS Beacons) '
'Infrequent communication conceals the malicious DNS traffic '
'with normal DNS traffic. ',
'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1071.004',
'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/004'},
{'description': 'Galobardes, R. (2018, October 30). '
'Learn how easy is to bypass '
'firewalls using DNS tunneling (and '
'also how to block it). Retrieved '
'March 15, 2020.',
'source_name': 'Medium DnsTunneling',
'url': 'https://medium.com/@galolbardes/learn-how-easy-is-to-bypass-firewalls-using-dns-tunneling-and-also-how-to-block-it-3ed652f4a000'},
{'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'},
{'description': 'Kyle Wilhoit, Robert Falcone. (2018, '
'September 12). OilRig Uses Updated '
'BONDUPDATER to Target Middle Eastern '
'Government. Retrieved July 21, 2025.',
'source_name': 'OilRig Uses Updated BONDUPDATER to '
'Target Middle Eastern Government',
'url': 'https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-oilrig-uses-updated-bondupdater-target-middle-eastern-government/'},
{'description': 'Palo Alto Networks. (n.d.). What Is '
'DNS Tunneling?. Retrieved March 15, '
'2020.',
'source_name': 'PAN DNS Tunneling',
'url': 'https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cyberpedia/what-is-dns-tunneling'},
{'description': 'Vercara. (n.d.). Retrieved July 21, '
'2025.',
'source_name': 'DNS Beacons',
'url': 'https://vercara.digicert.com/resources/dns-beacons#page_top'}],
'id': 'attack-pattern--1996eef1-ced3-4d7f-bf94-33298cabbf72',
'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
'phase_name': 'command-and-control'}],
'modified': '2025-10-24T17:48:27.877Z',
'name': 'DNS',
'object_marking_refs': ['marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168'],
'revoked': False,
'spec_version': '2.1',
'type': 'attack-pattern',
'x_mitre_attack_spec_version': '3.3.0',
'x_mitre_contributors': ['Jan Petrov, Citi', 'Chris Heald'],
'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', 'Network Devices', 'ESXi'],
'x_mitre_version': '1.4'}