Volt TyphoonG1017 ↗
Has compromised Virtual Private Servers (VPS) to proxy C2 traffic.1
tfMITRE ATT&CK sub-technique
Virtual Private Server T1584.003
sub-technique of T1584 Compromise Infrastructure
- Tactic
- Resource Development
- Platform
- PRE
- Version
- 1.1
- Created
- 01 October 2020
- Last modified
- 12 May 2026
Adversaries may compromise third-party Virtual Private Servers (VPSs) that can be used during targeting. There exist a variety of cloud service providers that will sell virtual machines/containers as a service. Adversaries may compromise VPSs purchased by third-party entities. By compromising a VPS to use as infrastructure, adversaries can make it difficult to physically tie back operations to themselves.[1]
ReconResource DevInitial AccessExecutionPersistencePriv EscStealthDef ImpairmentCred AccessDiscoveryLateral MoveCollectionC2ExfiltrationImpact
2
Threat groups56th pct
Threat groups56th percentile · 56% of ATT&CK techniques have this many threat groups attributed or fewer.2
CampaignsTop 17%
Campaigns83rd percentile · 83% of ATT&CK techniques have this many campaigns recorded or fewer.0
Tools & malwareNone recorded
Tools & malwareNone recorded · 29% of ATT&CK techniques have none either.0
Detection rulesNone recorded
Detection rulesNone recorded · 33% of ATT&CK techniques have none either.Virtual Private Server MITRE reference T1584.003
56th pctamong all ATT&CK techniques for number of groups
2 groups have been recorded using this technique. Newest first; each entry carries MITRE’s procedure text and a link to the group’s full record. Click a name to filter the rules below.
All 2 groups for this technique
2 campaigns have been recorded using this technique. Listed newest first; dates are year-granularity and attribution is MITRE’s.
2025 Poland Wiper AttacksC0063 ↗
During the 2025 Poland Wiper Attacks, the adversaries used compromised VPS servers for C2.1
Operation MidnightEclipseC0048 ↗
During Operation MidnightEclipse, threat actors abused Virtual Private Servers to store malicious files.1
All 2 campaigns for this technique
Offense vs defense T1584.003
Is defensive coverage keeping up with adversary use? Eight counts, each ranked against all 697 ATT&CK techniques. Attack sits left, defense right, so a shape leaning left means adversaries are better documented here than defenders are equipped. Hover any spoke for its percentile and the share of techniques that have more. The timeline below shows when each side arrived.
Virtual Private Server detection strategy DET0854
MITRE names one behaviour worth catching for this technique and breaks it into 1 analytic, one per platform. Each carries the log sources it needs and the fields you tune per environment.
Detection of Virtual Private Server
1 platform
AN1986 · PRE
Once adversaries have provisioned software on a compromised VPS (ex: for use as a command and control server), internet scans may reveal VPSs that adversaries have compromised. Consider looking for identifiable patterns such as services listening, certificates in use, SSL/TLS negotiation features, or other response artifacts associated with adversary C2 software. Much of this activity will take place outside the visibility of the target organization, making detection of this behavior difficult. Detection efforts may be focused on related stages of the adversary lifecycle, such as during Command and Control.
Log sources
The data this analytic draws on. You do not need every component — each one you already collect covers part of it. Each links to its ATT&CK record.
| Data component | Name | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Response ContentDC0104 | Internet Scan | None |
| Response MetadataDC0106 | Internet Scan | None |
Pre-compromiseM1056
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.