T1589 Gather Victim Identity Information

---
name: "T1589_gather-victim-identity-information"
description: "Adversaries may gather information about the victim's identity that can be used during targeting."
category: "information-gathering"
version: "18.1"
author: "cyberstrike-official"
tags:
  - mitre-attack
  - enterprise
  - t1589
  - reconnaissance
  - pre
technique_id: "T1589"
tactic: "reconnaissance"
all_tactics:
  - reconnaissance
platforms:
  - PRE
mitre_url: "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1589"
tech_stack:
  - pre
cwe_ids:
  - CWE-200
chains_with:
  - T1589.001
  - T1589.002
  - T1589.003
prerequisites: []
severity_boost:
  T1589.001: "Chain with T1589.001 for deeper attack path"
  T1589.002: "Chain with T1589.002 for deeper attack path"
  T1589.003: "Chain with T1589.003 for deeper attack path"
---

# T1589 Gather Victim Identity Information

## High-Level Description

Adversaries may gather information about the victim's identity that can be used during targeting. Information about identities may include a variety of details, including personal data (ex: employee names, email addresses, security question responses, etc.) as well as sensitive details such as credentials or multi-factor authentication (MFA) configurations.

Adversaries may gather this information in various ways, such as direct elicitation via Phishing for Information. Information about users could also be enumerated via other active means (i.e. Active Scanning) such as probing and analyzing responses from authentication services that may reveal valid usernames in a system or permitted MFA /methods associated with those usernames. Information about victims may also be exposed to adversaries via online or other accessible data sets (ex: Social Media or Search Victim-Owned Websites).

Gathering this information may reveal opportunities for other forms of reconnaissance (ex: Search Open Websites/Domains or Phishing for Information), establishing operational resources (ex: Compromise Accounts), and/or initial access (ex: Phishing or Valid Accounts).

## Kill Chain Phase

- Reconnaissance (TA0043)

**Platforms:** PRE

## What to Check

- [ ] Identify if Gather Victim Identity Information technique is applicable to target environment
- [ ] Check PRE systems for indicators of Gather Victim Identity Information
- [ ] Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (1 known mitigations)
- [ ] Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)

## How to Test

### Manual Testing

1. **Identify Attack Surface**: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Gather Victim Identity Information by examining the target platforms (PRE).

2. **Assess Existing Defenses**: Review whether mitigations for T1589 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.

3. **Execute Test**: Use tools and methods described in the MITRE ATT&CK page and external references below.

> **Note**: No Atomic Red Team tests available for this technique. See [Atomic Red Team GitHub](https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team) for updates.

## Remediation Guide

### M1056 Pre-compromise

This technique cannot be easily mitigated with preventive controls since it is based on behaviors performed outside of the scope of enterprise defenses and controls. Efforts should focus on minimizing the amount and sensitivity of data available to external parties.

## Detection

### Detection of Gather Victim Identity Information

## Risk Assessment

| Finding                                                 | Severity | Impact         |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | -------- | -------------- |
| Gather Victim Identity Information technique applicable | High     | Reconnaissance |

## CWE Categories

| CWE ID  | Title                             |
| ------- | --------------------------------- |
| CWE-200 | Exposure of Sensitive Information |

## References

- [OPM Leak](https://web.archive.org/web/20230602111604/https://www.opm.gov/cybersecurity/cybersecurity-incidents/)
- [Detectify Slack Tokens](https://labs.detectify.com/writeups/slack-bot-token-leakage-exposing-business-critical-information/)
- [GitHub truffleHog](https://github.com/dxa4481/truffleHog)
- [GrimBlog UsernameEnum](https://grimhacker.com/2017/07/24/office365-activesync-username-enumeration/)
- [Register Uber](https://www.theregister.com/2015/02/28/uber_subpoenas_github_for_hacker_details/)
- [GitHub Gitrob](https://github.com/michenriksen/gitrob)
- [CNET Leaks](https://www.cnet.com/news/massive-breach-leaks-773-million-emails-21-million-passwords/)
- [Obsidian SSPR Abuse 2023](https://www.obsidiansecurity.com/blog/behind-the-breach-self-service-password-reset-azure-ad/)
- [Forbes GitHub Creds](https://www.forbes.com/sites/runasandvik/2014/01/14/attackers-scrape-github-for-cloud-service-credentials-hijack-account-to-mine-virtual-currency/#242c479d3196)
- [Register Deloitte](https://www.theregister.com/2017/09/26/deloitte_leak_github_and_google/)
- [Atomic Red Team - T1589](https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/tree/master/atomics/T1589)
- [MITRE ATT&CK - T1589](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1589)