T1186: Process Doppelgänging
Windows Transactional NTFS (TxF) was introduced in Vista as a method to perform safe file operations. [1] To ensure data integrity, TxF enables only one transacted handle to write to a file at a given time. Until the write handle transaction is terminated, all other handles are isolated from the writer and may only read the committed version of the file that existed at the time the handle was opened. [2] To avoid corruption, TxF performs an automatic rollback if the system or application fails during a write transaction. [3]
Although deprecated, the TxF application programming interface (API) is still enabled as of Windows 10. [4]
Adversaries may leverage TxF to a perform a file-less variation of Process Injection called Process Doppelgänging. Similar to Process Hollowing, Process Doppelgänging involves replacing the memory of a legitimate process, enabling the veiled execution of malicious code that may evade defenses and detection. Process Doppelgänging's use of TxF also avoids the use of highly-monitored API functions such as NtUnmapViewOfSection, VirtualProtectEx, and SetThreadContext. [4]
Process Doppelgänging is implemented in 4 steps [4]:
* Transact – Create a TxF transaction using a legitimate executable then overwrite the file with malicious code. These changes will be isolated and only visible within the context of the transaction. * Load – Create a shared section of memory and load the malicious executable. * Rollback – Undo changes to original executable, effectively removing malicious code from the file system. * Animate – Create a process from the tainted section of memory and initiate execution.
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Process Doppelgänging
Windows Transactional NTFS (TxF) was introduced in Vista as a method to perform safe file operations. [1] To ensure data integrity, TxF enables only one transacted handle to write to a file at a given time. Until the write handle transaction is terminated, all other handles are isolated from the writer and may only read the committed version of the file that existed at the time the handle was opened. [2] To avoid corruption, TxF performs an automatic rollback if the system or application fails during a write transaction. [3]
Although deprecated, the TxF application programming interface (API) is still enabled as of Windows 10. [4]
Adversaries may leverage TxF to a perform a file-less variation of Process Injection called Process Doppelgänging. Similar to Process Hollowing, Process Doppelgänging involves replacing the memory of a legitimate process, enabling the veiled execution of malicious code that may evade defenses and detection. Process Doppelgänging's use of TxF also avoids the use of highly-monitored API functions such as NtUnmapViewOfSection, VirtualProtectEx, and SetThreadContext. [4]
Process Doppelgänging is implemented in 4 steps [4]:
* Transact – Create a TxF transaction using a legitimate executable then overwrite the file with malicious code. These changes will be isolated and only visible within the context of the transaction. * Load – Create a shared section of memory and load the malicious executable. * Rollback – Undo changes to original executable, effectively removing malicious code from the file system. * Animate – Create a process from the tainted section of memory and initiate execution.
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.
Related techniques
This mirrors the MITRE pattern of making group, software, campaign, and technique relationships scannable. Relationship notes come from mirrored ATT&CK relationship text when available.
| Domain | ID | Name | Relationship / procedure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | T1055.013 | Process Doppelgänging Sub-technique | This object revoked by Process Doppelgänging. |
All related ATT&CK context
Object version and sync metadata
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Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases (1)
| Release | Bundle imported | Object version | Modified | Status | Raw hash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19.1 | 1.1 | Current bundle Revoked | 101e66986ea6… |
Mirrored ATT&CK source object
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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]
Microsoft TxF
Microsoft. (n.d.). Transactional NTFS (TxF). Retrieved December 20, 2017.
Open source URL -
[2]
Microsoft Basic TxF Concepts
Microsoft. (n.d.). Basic TxF Concepts. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
Open source URL -
[3]
Microsoft Where to use TxF
Microsoft. (n.d.). When to Use Transactional NTFS. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
Open source URL -
[4]
BlackHat Process Doppelgänging Dec 2017
Liberman, T. & Kogan, E. (2017, December 7). Lost in Transaction: Process Doppelgänging. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
Open source URL -
[5]
Microsoft PsSetCreateProcessNotifyRoutine routine
Microsoft. (n.d.). PsSetCreateProcessNotifyRoutine routine. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
Open source URL -
[6]
hasherezade Process Doppelgänging Dec 2017
hasherezade. (2017, December 18). Process Doppelgänging – a new way to impersonate a process. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
Open source URL -
[7]
mitre-attack T1186Open source URL
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