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T1205.002: Socket Filters

View on MITRE ATT&CK The MITRE Corporation · Published 16/12/2025 19:37 · Modified 27/03/2026 01:07

Essential information

MITRE technique ID
T1205.002
Confidence
100/100
Revoked
No
Published
16/12/2025 19:37
Modified
27/03/2026 01:07
Author / Source
The MITRE Corporation

Platforms

windows macos linux

Description

Adversaries may attach filters to a network socket to monitor then activate backdoors used for persistence or command and control. With elevated permissions, adversaries can use features such as the `libpcap` library to open sockets and install filters to allow or disallow certain types of data to come through the socket. The filter may apply to all traffic passing through the specified network interface (or every interface if not specified). When the network interface receives a packet matching the filter criteria, additional actions can be triggered on the host, such as activation of a reverse shell. To establish a connection, an adversary sends a crafted packet to the targeted host that matches the installed filter criteria.(Citation: haking9 libpcap network sniffing) Adversaries have used these socket filters to trigger the installation of implants, conduct ping backs, and to invoke command shells. Communication with these socket filters may also be used in conjunction with [Protocol Tunneling](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1572).(Citation: exatrack bpf filters passive backdoors)(Citation: Leonardo Turla Penquin May 2020) Filters can be installed on any Unix-like platform with `libpcap` installed or on Windows hosts using `Winpcap`. Adversaries may use either `libpcap` with `pcap_setfilter` or the standard library function `setsockopt` with `SO_ATTACH_FILTER` options. Since the socket connection is not active until the packet is received, this behavior may be difficult to detect due to the lack of activity on a host, low CPU overhead, and limited visibility into raw socket usage.

Kill chain phases

Kill chainPhase
mitre-attack command-and-control
mitre-attack defense-evasion
mitre-attack persistence

Marking (TLP)

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External references