Tactics

Initial Access	Execution	Persistence	Privilege Escalation	Defense Evasion	Credential Access	Discovery	Lateral Movement	Collection	Impact
Using cloud credentials	Exec into container	Backdoor container	Privileged container	Clear container logs	List K8S secrets	Access Kubernetes API server	Access cloud resources	Images from a private registry	Data destruction
Compromised image In registry	bash/cmd inside container	Writable hostPath mount	Cluster-admin binding	Delete K8S events	Mount service principal	Access Kubelet API	Container service account	Collecting data from pod	Resource hijacking
Kubeconfig file	New container	Kubernetes CronJob	hostPath mount	Pod / container name similarity	Container service account	Network mapping	Cluster internal networking		Denial of service
Application vulnerability	Application exploit (https://microsoft.github.io/Threat-Matrix-for-Kubernetes/RCE)	Malicious admission controller	Access cloud resources	Connect from proxy server	Application credentials in configuration files	Exposed sensitive interfaces	Application credentials in configuration files
Exposed sensitive interfaces	SSH server running inside container	Container service account			Access managed identity credentials	Instance Metadata API	Writable hostPath mount
	Sidecar injection	Static pods			Malicious admission controller		CoreDNS poisoning
							ARP poisoning and IP spoofing

Initial Access

The initial access tactic consists of techniques that are used for gaining access to the resource. In containerized environments, those techniques enable first access to the cluster. This access can be achieved directly via the cluster management layer or, alternatively, by gaining access to a malicious or vulnerable resource that is deployed on the cluster.

ID	Name
MS-TA9001	Using cloud credentials
MS-TA9002	Compromised image in registry
MS-TA9003	Kubeconfig file
MS-TA9004	Application vulnerability
MS-TA9005	Exposed sensitive interfaces

Execution

The execution tactic consists of techniques that are used by attackers to run their code inside a cluster.

ID	Name
MS-TA9006	Exec into container
MS-TA9007	bash/cmd inside container
MS-TA9008	New container
MS-TA9009	Application exploit (RCE)
MS-TA9010	SSH server running inside container
MS-TA9011	Sidecar injection

Persistence

The persistence tactic consists of techniques that are used by attackers to keep access to the cluster in case their initial foothold is lost.

ID	Name
MS-TA9012	Backdoor container
MS-TA9013	Writable hostPath mount
MS-TA9014	Kubernetes CronJob
MS-TA9015	Malicious admission controller
MS-TA9016	Container service account
MS-TA9017	Static pods

Privilege Escalation

The privilege escalation tactic consists of techniques that are used by attackers to get higher privileges in the environment than those they currently have. In containerized environments, this can include getting access to the node from a container, gaining higher privileges in the cluster, and even getting access to the cloud resources.

ID	Name
MS-TA9018	Privileged container
MS-TA9019	Cluster-admin binding
MS-TA9013	hostPath mount
MS-TA9020	Access cloud resources

Defense Evasion

The defense evasion tactic consists of techniques that are used by attackers to avoid detection and hide their activity.

ID	Name
MS-TA9021	Clear container logs
MS-TA9022	Delete K8S events
MS-TA9023	Pod / container name similarity
MS-TA9024	Connect from proxy server

Credential Access

The credential access tactic consists of techniques that are used by attackers to steal credentials.

In containerized environments, this includes credentials of the running application, identities, secrets stored in the cluster, or cloud credentials.

ID	Name
MS-TA9025	List K8S secrets
MS-TA9026	Mount service principal
MS-TA9016	Container service account
MS-TA9027	Application credentials in configuration files
MS-TA9028	Access managed identity credentials
MS-TA9015	Malicious admission controller

Discovery

The discovery tactic consists of techniques that are used by attackers to explore the environment to which they gained access. This exploration helps the attackers to perform lateral movement and gain access to additional resources.

ID	Name
MS-TA9029	Access Kubernetes API server
MS-TA9030	Access Kubelet API
MS-TA9031	Network mapping
MS-TA9005	Exposed sensitive interfaces
MS-TA9033	Instance Metadata API

Lateral Movement

The lateral movement tactic consists of techniques that are used by attackers to move through the victim’s environment. In containerized environments, this includes gaining access to various resources in the cluster from a given access to one container, gaining access to the underlying node from a container, or gaining access to the cloud environment.

ID	Name
MS-TA9020	Access cloud resources
MS-TA9016	Container service account
MS-TA9034	Cluster internal networking
MS-TA9027	Application credentials in configuration files
MS-TA9013	Writable hostPath mount
MS-TA9035	CoreDNS poisoning
MS-TA9036	ARP poisoning and IP spoofing

Collection

Collection in Kubernetes consists of techniques that are used by attackers to collect data from the cluster or through using the cluster.

ID	Name
MS-TA9037	Images from a private registry
MS-TA9041	Collecting data from pod

Impact

The Impact tactic consists of techniques that are used by attackers to destroy, abuse, or disrupt the normal behavior of the environment.

ID	Name
MS-TA9038	Data destruction
MS-TA9039	Resource hijacking
MS-TA9040	Denial of service

kimsyversen/k8s-threat-matrix.md