Direct Volume Access

Direct Volume Access [T1006]

Information

• Name: Direct Volume Access

• ID: T1006

• Tactics: TA0005

Introduction

Direct Volume Access (Technique ID: T1006) is documented within the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the category of Defense Evasion. It involves adversaries directly accessing disk volumes to bypass file system protections, evade detection, or manipulate data. By directly reading or writing to raw disk volumes, attackers can avoid traditional file-level security measures, making detection and prevention challenging.

Deep Dive Into Technique

Direct Volume Access involves interactions with raw disk volumes, bypassing standard file system APIs. Typically, operating systems provide APIs for file and folder access, enforcing permissions, auditing, and logging. However, attackers using Direct Volume Access circumvent these protections by directly interacting with disk sectors or volumes.

Technical execution methods include:

• Raw Disk Access: Attackers may use low-level system calls or specialized tools to read or write directly to disk sectors without going through the OS file system APIs.

• API Exploitation: Leveraging native APIs (e.g., Windows API functions such as CreateFile() with special volume paths like \\.\PhysicalDrive0) to gain raw disk access.

• Boot Sector Manipulation: Directly altering boot sectors or partition tables to persistently infect systems and evade detection.

• Disk Imaging: Attackers may create raw disk images to exfiltrate sensitive data without triggering file-level monitoring.

Common tools and mechanisms include:

• Native Windows utilities or APIs (e.g., diskpart, fsutil)

• Custom malware or rootkits designed to manipulate disk sectors directly

• Open-source tools like dd (on Unix/Linux systems) or similar disk imaging utilities

• Driver-based malware capable of kernel-mode disk access

Real-world procedures involve attackers:

• Modifying Master Boot Record (MBR) or GPT partitions to establish persistence

• Extracting sensitive information directly from disk sectors without file access logging

• Injecting malicious code into unallocated or hidden disk space to evade antivirus detection

When this Technique is Usually Used

Direct Volume Access frequently appears in various attack scenarios and stages, including:

• Defense Evasion: Bypassing file system-level security controls, antivirus scanning, and endpoint detection solutions.

• Persistence: Manipulating boot sectors or partition tables to maintain persistent access even after OS reinstallation or disk formatting.

• Credential and Data Access: Extracting credentials, encryption keys, or sensitive data directly from disk sectors, bypassing file-level encryption or protection.

• Impact and Destruction: Directly corrupting disk data or partition tables to sabotage systems or cause denial-of-service conditions.

• Data Exfiltration: Creating raw disk images to stealthily exfiltrate large amounts of sensitive data without triggering traditional file-level monitoring.

How this Technique is Usually Detected

Detecting Direct Volume Access can be challenging due to its low-level nature. However, several strategies and tools can help identify its usage:

• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Monitoring for suspicious API calls and system-level interactions, such as direct device access (\\.\PhysicalDrive0) or unusual driver installations.

• Kernel-Level Monitoring: Utilizing kernel-mode drivers and tools to log and detect direct disk access attempts.

• Audit Logging and Event Monitoring: Analyzing Windows Event Logs and system audit trails for suspicious disk access events or unauthorized driver loading.

• File Integrity Monitoring (FIM): Detecting unexpected changes to boot sectors, partition tables, or disk structures.

• Behavioral Analysis and Heuristics: Identifying anomalous behavior patterns, such as unauthorized disk imaging or raw device access attempts.

Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) include:

• Unexpected modifications to boot sectors (MBR/GPT)

• Suspicious driver installations or kernel-mode modules

• Unusual access to raw disk devices (\\.\PhysicalDriveX)

• Presence of disk imaging utilities (dd, custom malware tools) without legitimate administrative tasks

• Unusual disk activity patterns identified by monitoring tools or SIEM solutions

Why it is Important to Detect This Technique

Detecting Direct Volume Access is critical due to its significant potential impacts on systems and networks:

• Evasion of Security Controls: Attackers can bypass traditional antivirus, anti-malware, and endpoint protection solutions, increasing the difficulty of detection and response.

• Persistent Compromise: Direct manipulation of boot sectors or partitions allows attackers to maintain persistent, stealthy access even after remediation attempts or OS reinstallation.

• Data Theft and Exfiltration: Attackers can bypass file-level encryption and protection, directly accessing sensitive data stored on disk sectors, leading to severe data breaches.

• System Instability and Damage: Direct disk manipulation can result in corrupted data, unstable systems, or complete denial-of-service scenarios, causing significant operational disruptions.

• Compliance and Regulatory Risks: Failure to detect such low-level attacks can lead to breaches of regulatory compliance standards, resulting in financial penalties and reputational damage.

Early detection of Direct Volume Access enables prompt containment, minimizes data loss, reduces remediation costs, and prevents long-term persistence and damage.

Examples

Real-world examples of Direct Volume Access include:

• Petya/NotPetya Malware:

  • Attack Scenario: Malware directly overwrote the Master Boot Record (MBR) to encrypt disk sectors, rendering systems unusable.

  • Tools Used: Custom kernel-level malware, direct disk sector manipulation techniques.

  • Impact: Massive global disruption, significant financial losses, extensive downtime for affected organizations.

• Mebroot Rootkit:

  • Attack Scenario: Rootkit infected systems by directly manipulating the MBR, establishing persistent access and evading antivirus detection.

  • Tools Used: Custom rootkit code, direct volume access methods via raw disk access APIs.

  • Impact: Persistent, stealthy infection allowing attackers to maintain long-term control over compromised systems.

• FIN8 Threat Group:

  • Attack Scenario: Utilized direct disk access methods to evade security detection, enabling persistent access and data exfiltration.

  • Tools Used: Custom malware leveraging raw disk access APIs, direct data extraction techniques.

  • Impact: Successful theft of sensitive financial data, prolonged undetected presence within victim networks.

• Raw Disk Imaging Attacks:

  • Attack Scenario: Attackers created direct disk images to exfiltrate sensitive data, bypassing file-level monitoring and security controls.

  • Tools Used: Standard disk imaging utilities (dd), custom low-level malware.

  • Impact: Large-scale data breaches, significant loss of sensitive information, and challenges in forensic analysis and attribution.

These examples highlight the severity, stealth, and persistence capabilities associated with Direct Volume Access, emphasizing the necessity of proactive detection and mitigation strategies.