StandardSeverity: HighCAPEC-600

CAPEC-600: Credential Stuffing

Description

An adversary tries known username/password combinations against different systems, applications, or services to gain additional authenticated access. Credential Stuffing attacks rely upon the fact that many users leverage the same username/password combination for multiple systems, applications, and services.

Likelihood of attack: High
Typical severity: High
Abstraction: StandardA specific methodology or technique used in an attack.

Mechanism of attack: Subvert Access Control

Prerequisites

The system/application uses one factor password based authentication, SSO, and/or cloud-based authentication.
The system/application does not have a sound password policy that is being enforced.
The system/application does not implement an effective password throttling mechanism.
The adversary possesses a list of known user accounts and corresponding passwords that may exist on the target.

Skills required

LowA Credential Stuffing attack is very straightforward.

Consequences

ConfidentialityAccess ControlAuthentication
Gain Privileges
ConfidentialityAuthorization
Read Data
Integrity
Modify Data

Mitigations

Leverage multi-factor authentication for all authentication services and prior to granting an entity access to the domain network.
Create a strong password policy and ensure that your system enforces this policy.
Ensure users are not reusing username/password combinations for multiple systems, applications, or services.
Do not reuse local administrator account credentials across systems.
Deny remote use of local admin credentials to log into domain systems.
Do not allow accounts to be a local administrator on more than one system.
Implement an intelligent password throttling mechanism. Care must be taken to assure that these mechanisms do not excessively enable account lockout attacks such as CAPEC-2.
Monitor system and domain logs for abnormal credential access.

Related weaknesses (CWE)

ATT&CK techniques (CAPEC taxonomy mapping)

T1110.004Brute Force: Credential Stuffing

Across MITRE's defensive frameworks

Linked through the 1 ATT&CK technique above.

Counter with D3FEND

Defensive techniques MITRE D3FEND maps to the same ATT&CK techniques.

15 more in the full list

Related attack patterns

Parent

CAPEC-560Use of Known Domain CredentialsMeta

Description

Prerequisites

The system/application uses one factor password based authentication, SSO, and/or cloud-based authentication.

The system/application does not have a sound password policy that is being enforced.

The system/application does not implement an effective password throttling mechanism.

The adversary possesses a list of known user accounts and corresponding passwords that may exist on the target.

Mitigations

Leverage multi-factor authentication for all authentication services and prior to granting an entity access to the domain network.

Create a strong password policy and ensure that your system enforces this policy.

Ensure users are not reusing username/password combinations for multiple systems, applications, or services.

Do not reuse local administrator account credentials across systems.

Deny remote use of local admin credentials to log into domain systems.

Do not allow accounts to be a local administrator on more than one system.

Implement an intelligent password throttling mechanism. Care must be taken to assure that these mechanisms do not excessively enable account lockout attacks such as CAPEC-2.

Monitor system and domain logs for abnormal credential access.