A Red Teamer’s Guide to MITRE ATT&CK

Learn how the MITRE ATT&CK framework helps red teams profile threats, simulate real-world attacks, improve reporting, and analyze emerging adversary tactics.

The MITRE ATT&CK (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge) framework is a knowledge base that documents real-world Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) used by adversaries. It provides a structured approach to understanding how attackers operate, covering various stages of an attack, from initial access to data exfiltration.

For red team operations, ATT&CK can have multiple use cases.

Follow my journey of 100 Days of Red Team on WhatsApp, Telegram or Discord.

One of its primary applications is threat profiling, where red teams can use the framework to understand the specific TTPs associated with different adversaries. By studying known attack groups and their methods, red teams can design realistic attack scenarios that mimic actual threats faced by an organization.

Another use case is threat decomposition, where red teams use the framework to break down an adversary’s attack methodology into actionable components. During adversary emulation or simulation exercises, red teams need to replicate specific techniques an attacker would use. ATT&CK helps them identify which tactics and techniques are relevant to the scenario, ensuring that the exercise closely mirrors the adversary’s tradecraft. This approach enhances the accuracy of red team engagements.

The reporting process also benefits from ATT&CK. One challenge in red teaming is effectively communicating findings to security teams and executives. By referencing the ATT&CK framework in report, red teams can make it easier for audience to understand the attack’s implications. ATT&CK’s standardized terminology ensures that reports are consistent and actionable.

Red teams can also leverage ATT&CK for threat intelligence analysis. By continuously monitoring threat reports and updates to the ATT&CK framework, red teams stay informed about emerging threats and continously evolve their arsenal.

To illustrate these use cases, consider a real-world case study involving a financial institution facing persistent threat from a known cybercriminal group. The red team, using ATT&CK, first created a threat profile to understand the adversary’s TTPs. They then decomposed the adversary’s tradecraft to identify which of their techniques were most relevant to the organization’s environment. Finally, after completing the engagement, they used ATT&CK in their reporting, providing insights into attack vectors and gaps in security controls. Post-exercise, they continued to monitor threat intelligence to update their methodologies based on emerging threats in the financial sector.

Red Team Notes
The MITRE ATT&CK framework is a knowledge base that documents real-world adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to help red teams understand an adversary's tradecraft. Red teams can use ATT&CK for following use case:
 - Threat Profiling - study adversary TTPs to design realistic attack scenarios.
 - Threat Decomposition - break down attack methodologies to identify relevant techniques for simulations.
 - Reporting - standardize attack findings, making reports clearer and actionable for security teams.
 - Threat Intelligence Analysis - stay updated on emerging threats and evolve attack techniques.

Follow my journey of 100 Days of Red Team on WhatsApp, Telegram or Discord.