T1135: Network Share Discovery
Adversaries may look for folders and drives shared on remote systems as a means of identifying sources of information to gather as a precursor for Collection and to identify potential systems of interest for Lateral Movement. Networks often contain shared network drives and folders that enable users to access file directories on various systems across a network.
File sharing over a Windows network occurs over the SMB protocol. [1] [2] Net can be used to query a remote system for available shared drives using the net view \\\\remotesystem command. It can also be used to query shared drives on the local system using net share. For macOS, the sharing -l command lists all shared points used for smb services.
Analyst context for executives and security teams
Network Share Discovery matters because shared folders often contain the data and access paths attackers care about: documents, source code, operational files, backups, and staging locations for lateral movement. In practical terms, this is an early warning behavior that an intruder may be mapping where valuable information lives before collection or movement across Windows, Linux, or macOS environments.
Executive priority
Treat this as a control-validation issue, not just a SOC alert. Leaders should ask whether critical file shares are inventoried, access is least-privilege, legacy or unused sharing features are disabled where appropriate, and audit evidence exists for share hardening. The relationship set shows this technique appears across espionage, financially motivated, and ransomware-related activity, so coverage supports incident triage, data protection, and operational resilience decisions.
Technical view
T1135 is a Discovery technique for identifying remote or local shared drives and folders. ATT&CK specifically notes SMB-based Windows sharing, Windows Net utility usage, and macOS share listing behavior. SOC and IR teams should validate visibility into share enumeration across endpoints and network services, then correlate it with surrounding discovery, credential use, lateral movement, and collection signals. The related DET0182 strategy indicates behavior-chain detection across Windows, Linux, and macOS is the preferred direction rather than relying on one command or one event type.
Likely telemetry
- Endpoint process execution for native share-enumeration utilities and shell activity
- Command-line arguments where collected by EDR or endpoint logging
- SMB/file-sharing service access and enumeration logs where available
- Authentication and session activity to systems hosting shares
- File server audit logs for share listing, access attempts, and unusual source hosts
Detection direction
- Baseline legitimate administrative share discovery so detections do not over-alert on IT inventory, help desk, backup, or file server administration activity.
- Prioritize behavior chains: share discovery followed by access to sensitive shares, credential use, remote execution, lateral movement, or collection-related activity is more decision-worthy than a single benign-looking query.
- Validate coverage across Windows, Linux, and macOS because the ATT&CK platforms include all three; do not assume Windows SMB visibility covers the whole environment.
- Tune for unusual source systems, user context, time of day, breadth of queried hosts, and first-time enumeration of high-value servers.
- Check blind spots where command-line logging, endpoint telemetry, file server auditing, or internal network visibility is absent or inconsistently retained.
Mitigation priorities
- Apply operating system configuration hardening through M1028: reduce unused sharing functionality and harden default OS settings where business operations allow.
- Inventory shared folders and drives, especially those containing sensitive business, engineering, financial, regulated, or operational data.
- Restrict share permissions using least privilege and validate that access aligns with business need.
- Disable or limit unused legacy name-resolution or file-sharing features where supported by the environment and referenced OS-hardening guidance.
- Ensure file server and endpoint logging is enabled before relying on detections for compliance or incident response evidence.
Analyst notes and limits
This technique is often more valuable as context than as a standalone incident. The relationship context includes multiple campaigns, groups, and software using Network Share Discovery, including ransomware-associated and espionage-oriented activity, but those relationships should be used for prioritization and threat modeling rather than attribution in a local alert. For Glexia-style assessments, map this behavior to crown-jewel file shares and lateral movement paths.
The official ATT&CK detection field for T1135 is not provided, so detection guidance is derived from the technique description, platforms, tactic, external references, and supplied relationships. Local logging configuration, share architecture, administrative practices, and endpoint coverage are required to determine actual detectability or risk.
Network Share Discovery
Adversaries may look for folders and drives shared on remote systems as a means of identifying sources of information to gather as a precursor for Collection and to identify potential systems of interest for Lateral Movement. Networks often contain shared network drives and folders that enable users to access file directories on various systems across a network.
File sharing over a Windows network occurs over the SMB protocol. [1] [2] Net can be used to query a remote system for available shared drives using the net view \\\\remotesystem command. It can also be used to query shared drives on the local system using net share. For macOS, the sharing -l command lists all shared points used for smb services.
How security teams should use this page
Treat this object as behavior context, not an attribution claim. Validate the related groups, software, data sources, and mitigations against official ATT&CK relationships and your own telemetry before making control-coverage decisions.
Groups, software, and campaigns
G0131: Tonto Team
Tonto Team is a suspected Chinese state-sponsored cyber espionage threat group that has primarily targeted South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States since at least 2009; by 2020 they expanded operations to include other Asian as well as Eastern European countries. Tonto Team has targeted government, military, energy, mining, financial, education, healthcare, and technology organizations, including through the Heartbeat Campaign (2009-2012) and Operation Bitter Biscuit (2017).[1][2][3][4][5][6]
G0087: APT39
APT39 is one of several names for cyber espionage activity conducted by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) through the front company Rana Intelligence Computing since at least 2014. APT39 has primarily targeted the travel, hospitality, academic, and telecommunications industries in Iran and across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America to track individuals and entities considered to be a threat by the MOIS.[1][2][3][4][5]
G0105: DarkVishnya
DarkVishnya is a financially motivated threat actor targeting financial institutions in Eastern Europe. In 2017-2018 the group attacked at least 8 banks in this region.[1]
G0050: APT32
APT32 is a suspected Vietnam-based threat group that has been active since at least 2014. The group has targeted multiple private sector industries as well as foreign governments, dissidents, and journalists with a strong focus on Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, and Cambodia. They have extensively used strategic web compromises to compromise victims.[1][2][3]
G0096: APT41
APT41 is a threat group that researchers have assessed as Chinese state-sponsored espionage group that also conducts financially-motivated operations. Active since at least 2012, APT41 has been observed targeting various industries, including but not limited to healthcare, telecom, technology, finance, education, retail and video game industries in 14 countries.[1] Notable behaviors include using a wide range of malware and tools to complete mission objectives. APT41 overlaps at least partially with public reporting on groups including BARIUM and Winnti Group.[2][3]
G1051: Medusa Group
Medusa Group has been active since at least 2021 and was initially operated as a closed ransomware group before evolving into a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation. Some reporting indicates that certain attacks may still be conducted directly by the ransomware’s core developers. Public sources have also referred to the group as “Spearwing” or “Medusa Actors.” [1] [2] Medusa Group employs living-off-the-land techniques, frequently leveraging publicly available tools and common remote management software to conduct operations. The group engages in double extortion tactics, exfiltrating data prior to encryption and threatening to publish stolen information if ransom demands are not met. [3] For initial access, Medusa Group has exploited publicly known vulnerabilities, conducted phishing campaigns, and used credentials or access purchased from Initial Access Brokers (IABs). The group is opportunistic and has targeted a wide range of sectors globally. [4]
G0114: Chimera
G0082: APT38
APT38 is a North Korean state-sponsored threat group that specializes in financial cyber operations; it has been attributed to the Reconnaissance General Bureau.[1] Active since at least 2014, APT38 has targeted banks, financial institutions, casinos, cryptocurrency exchanges, SWIFT system endpoints, and ATMs in at least 38 countries worldwide. Significant operations include the 2016 Bank of Bangladesh heist, during which APT38 stole $81 million, as well as attacks against Bancomext [2] and Banco de Chile [2]; some of their attacks have been destructive.[1][2][3][4]
North Korean group definitions are known to have significant overlap, and some security researchers report all North Korean state-sponsored cyber activity under the name Lazarus Group instead of tracking clusters or subgroups.
G1043: BlackByte
BlackByte is a ransomware threat actor operating since at least 2021. BlackByte is associated with several versions of ransomware also labeled BlackByte Ransomware. BlackByte ransomware operations initially used a common encryption key allowing for the development of a universal decryptor, but subsequent versions such as BlackByte 2.0 Ransomware use more robust encryption mechanisms. BlackByte is notable for operations targeting critical infrastructure entities among other targets across North America.[1][2][3][4][5]
G1016: FIN13
G0081: Tropic Trooper
Tropic Trooper is an unaffiliated threat group that has led targeted campaigns against targets in Taiwan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Tropic Trooper focuses on targeting government, healthcare, transportation, and high-tech industries and has been active since 2011.[1][2][3]
G1032: INC Ransom
INC Ransom is a ransomware and data extortion threat group associated with the deployment of INC Ransomware that has been active since at least July 2023. INC Ransom has targeted organizations worldwide most commonly in the industrial, healthcare, and education sectors in the US and Europe.[1][2][3][4]
S1081: BADHATCH
S1180: BlackByte Ransomware
BlackByte Ransomware is uniquely associated with BlackByte operations. BlackByte Ransomware used a common key for infections, allowing for the creation of a universal decryptor.[1][2] BlackByte Ransomware was replaced in BlackByte operations by BlackByte 2.0 Ransomware by 2023.[3][4]
S0458: Ramsay
S0575: Conti
Conti is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) that was first observed in December 2019. Conti has been deployed via TrickBot and used against major corporations and government agencies, particularly those in North America. As with other ransomware families, actors using Conti steal sensitive files and information from compromised networks, and threaten to publish this data unless the ransom is paid.[1][2][3]
S1244: Medusa Ransomware
Medusa Ransomware has been utilized in attacks since at least 2021. Medusa Ransomware has been known to be utilized in conjunction with living off the land techniques and remote management software. Medusa Ransomware has been used in campaigns associated with “double extortion” ransomware activity, where data is exfiltrated from victim environments prior to encryption, with threats to publish files if a ransom is not paid. Medusa Ransomware software was initially a closed ransomware variant which later evolved to a Ransomware as a Service (RaaS). Medusa Ransomware has impacted victims from a diverse range of sectors within a multitude of countries, and it is assessed Medusa Ransomware is used in an opportunistic manner.[1][2][3][4]
S0192: Pupy
Pupy is an open source, cross-platform (Windows, Linux, OSX, Android) remote administration and post-exploitation tool. [1] It is written in Python and can be generated as a payload in several different ways (Windows exe, Python file, PowerShell oneliner/file, Linux elf, APK, Rubber Ducky, etc.). [1] Pupy is publicly available on GitHub. [1]
S0534: Bazar
Bazar is a downloader and backdoor that has been used since at least April 2020, with infections primarily against professional services, healthcare, manufacturing, IT, logistics and travel companies across the US and Europe. Bazar reportedly has ties to TrickBot campaigns and can be used to deploy additional malware, including ransomware, and to steal sensitive data.[1]
S1160: Latrodectus
Latrodectus is a Windows malware downloader that has been used since at least 2023 to download and execute additional payloads and modules. Latrodectus has most often been distributed through email campaigns, primarily by TA577 and TA578, and has infrastructure overlaps with historic IcedID operations.[1][2][3]
S0625: Cuba
S0236: Kwampirs
S0650: QakBot
S0692: SILENTTRINITY
SILENTTRINITY is an open source remote administration and post-exploitation framework primarily written in Python that includes stagers written in Powershell, C, and Boo. SILENTTRINITY was used in a 2019 campaign against Croatian government agencies by unidentified cyber actors.[1][2]
C0015: C0015
C0015 was a ransomware intrusion during which the unidentified attackers used Bazar, Cobalt Strike, and Conti, along with other tools, over a 5 day period. Security researchers assessed the actors likely used the widely-circulated Conti ransomware playbook based on the observed pattern of activity and operator errors.[1]
C0014: Operation Wocao
Operation Wocao was a cyber espionage campaign that targeted organizations around the world, including in Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The suspected China-based actors compromised government organizations and managed service providers, as well as aviation, construction, energy, finance, health care, insurance, offshore engineering, software development, and transportation companies.[1]
Security researchers assessed the Operation Wocao actors used similar TTPs and tools as APT20, suggesting a possible overlap. Operation Wocao was named after an observed command line entry by one of the threat actors, possibly out of frustration from losing webshell access.[1]
C0049: Leviathan Australian Intrusions
Leviathan Australian Intrusions consisted of at least two long-term intrusions against victims in Australia by Leviathan, relying on similar tradecraft such as external service exploitation followed by extensive credential capture and re-use to enable privilege escalation and lateral movement. Leviathan Australian Intrusions were focused on exfiltrating sensitive data including valid credentials for the victim organizations.[1]
C0012: Operation CuckooBees
Operation CuckooBees was a cyber espionage campaign targeting technology and manufacturing companies in East Asia, Western Europe, and North America since at least 2019. Security researchers noted the goal of Operation CuckooBees, which was still ongoing as of May 2022, was likely the theft of proprietary information, research and development documents, source code, and blueprints for various technologies. Researchers assessed Operation CuckooBees was conducted by actors affiliated with Winnti Group, APT41, and BARIUM.[1]
All related ATT&CK context
Mitigation direction
Object version and sync metadata
The fields below describe the current mirrored snapshot. When Glexia retains multiple ATT&CK source imports, you can open the table to compare the same object across releases (hashes and MITRE timestamps). For MITRE’s own release notes and roadmap, see ATT&CK resources — Updates .
Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases (1)
| Release | Bundle imported | Object version | Modified | Status | Raw hash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.1 | 3.2 | Current bundle | 88e8744ab7f4… |
Mirrored ATT&CK source object
The raw object is retained through the mirrored ATT&CK source bundle and object hash. The raw endpoint returns the exact object from the mirrored bundle when available.
External references and citations
MITRE external references are preserved separately from Glexia analysis so citations remain traceable to their original source records.
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[1]
Wikipedia Shared Resource
Wikipedia. (2017, April 15). Shared resource. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
Open source URL -
[2]
TechNet Shared Folder
Microsoft. (n.d.). Share a Folder or Drive. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
Open source URL -
[3]
mitre-attack T1135Open source URL
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