Remote Data Staging
Where this stands
One published detection covers this technique. Every one is unverified — no rule on Siemphony has been executed against real telemetry.
What the technique is
Adversaries may stage data collected from multiple systems in a central location or directory on one system prior to Exfiltration. Data may be kept in separate files or combined into one file through techniques such as Archive Collected Data. Interactive command shells may be used, and common functionality within cmd and bash may be used to copy data into a staging location. In cloud environments, adversaries may stage data within a particular instance or virtual machine before exfiltration. An adversary may Create Cloud Instance and stage data in that instance. By staging data on one system prior to Exfiltration, adversaries can minimize the number of connections made to their C2 server and better evade detection.
Read it on attack.mitre.orgWhat MITRE says you would watch
- AN0194
Detects file transfers or mounting operations from remote hosts followed by write actions into a local staging directory, often using SMB or remote shell activity.
- AN0195
Detects inbound SCP, rsync, or NFS mounts from remote systems followed by aggregation of files into known staging paths like /mnt/staging or /var/tmp.
- AN0196
Detects rsync or scp inbound from other hosts that then aggregate content into /Users/Shared or /private/tmp, often involving compressed files or scripts.
Technique names and descriptions © MITRE ATT&CK®, CC BY 4.0. Not endorsed by MITRE.