| ID | Name |
|---|---|
| T1078.001 | Default Accounts |
| T1078.002 | Domain Accounts |
| T1078.003 | Local Accounts |
| T1078.004 | Cloud Accounts |
Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a default account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Default accounts are those that are built-into an OS, such as the Guest or Administrator accounts on Windows systems. Default accounts also include default factory/provider set accounts on other types of systems, software, or devices, including the root user account in AWS, the root user account in ESXi, and the default service account in Kubernetes.[1][2][3]
Default accounts are not limited to client machines; rather, they also include accounts that are preset for equipment such as network devices and computer applications, whether they are internal, open source, or commercial. Appliances that come preset with a username and password combination pose a serious threat to organizations that do not change it post installation, as they are easy targets for an adversary. Similarly, adversaries may also utilize publicly disclosed or stolen Private Keys or credential materials to legitimately connect to remote environments via Remote Services.[4]
Default accounts may be created on a system after initial setup by connecting or integrating it with another application. For example, when an ESXi server is connected to a vCenter server, a default privileged account called vpxuser is created on the ESXi server. If a threat actor is able to compromise this account’s credentials (for example, via Exploitation for Credential Access on the vCenter host), they will then have access to the ESXi server.[5][6]
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G1003 | Ember Bear |
Ember Bear has abused default user names and passwords in externally-accessible IP cameras for initial access.[7] |
| G1016 | FIN13 |
FIN13 has leveraged default credentials for authenticating myWebMethods (WMS) and QLogic web management interface to gain initial access.[8] |
| C0038 | HomeLand Justice |
During HomeLand Justice, threat actors used the built-in administrator account to move laterally using RDP and Impacket.[9] |
| S0537 | HyperStack |
HyperStack can use default credentials to connect to IPC$ shares on remote machines.[10] |
| G0059 | Magic Hound |
Magic Hound enabled and used the default system managed account, DefaultAccount, via |
| S0603 | Stuxnet |
Stuxnet infected WinCC machines via a hardcoded database server password.[12] |
| G1048 | UNC3886 |
UNC3886 has harvested and used vCenter Server service accounts.[5] |
| ID | Mitigation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| M1032 | Multi-factor Authentication |
Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for default accounts whenever possible to prevent unauthorized access, even if credentials for these accounts are compromised. MFA adds an additional layer of security that requires more than just a username and password, making it significantly harder for adversaries to exploit these accounts for initial access or lateral movement. |
| M1027 | Password Policies |
Applications and appliances that utilize default username and password should be changed immediately after the installation, and before deployment to a production environment. [13] |
| ID | Name | Analytic ID | Analytic Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| DET0465 | Detection of Default Account Abuse Across Platforms | AN1283 |
Detection of default account usage such as Guest or Administrator performing interactive or remote logons on systems outside of installation or maintenance windows. |
| AN1284 |
Monitoring for SSH logins from default accounts such as 'root', especially when login is via password and not key-based authentication. |
||
| AN1285 |
Use of known default service accounts or root-level cloud accounts performing authentication or changes to IAM policy. |
||
| AN1286 |
Abuse of system-generated or default privileged accounts such as 'root' or 'vpxuser' logging into ESXi hosts. |
||
| AN1287 |
Login activity from default admin credentials (e.g., 'admin', 'cisco') on routers, firewalls, and switches. |