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VDSO Hijacking - T1055.014 (98be40f2-c86b-4ade-b6fc-4964932040e5)

Adversaries may inject malicious code into processes via VDSO hijacking in order to evade process-based defenses as well as possibly elevate privileges. Virtual dynamic shared object (vdso) hijacking is a method of executing arbitrary code in the address space of a separate live process.

VDSO hijacking involves redirecting calls to dynamically linked shared libraries. Memory protections may prevent writing executable code to a process via Ptrace System Calls. However, an adversary may hijack the syscall interface code stubs mapped into a process from the vdso shared object to execute syscalls to open and map a malicious shared object. This code can then be invoked by redirecting the execution flow of the process via patched memory address references stored in a process' global offset table (which store absolute addresses of mapped library functions).(Citation: ELF Injection May 2009)(Citation: Backtrace VDSO)(Citation: VDSO Aug 2005)(Citation: Syscall 2014)

Running code in the context of another process may allow access to the process's memory, system/network resources, and possibly elevated privileges. Execution via VDSO hijacking may also evade detection from security products since the execution is masked under a legitimate process.

Cluster A Galaxy A Cluster B Galaxy B Level
Process Injection - T1055 (43e7dc91-05b2-474c-b9ac-2ed4fe101f4d) Attack Pattern VDSO Hijacking - T1055.014 (98be40f2-c86b-4ade-b6fc-4964932040e5) Attack Pattern 1