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MITRE ATT&CK® Malware

S0409: Machete

Machete is a cyber espionage toolset used by Machete. It is a Python-based backdoor targeting Windows machines that was first observed in 2010.[1][2][3]

EnterpriseS0409MalwareObject v2.2Modified
Glexia's Take · Automated analysis

Security context for executives and security teams

Automation confidenceMedium

S0409: Machete describes [Machete](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0409) is a cyber espionage toolset used by [Machete](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0095). It is a Python-based backdoor targeting Windows machines that was first observed in 2010.(Citation: ESET Machete July 2019)(Citation: Securelist Machete Aug 2014)(Citation: 360 Machete Sep 2020)

Executive priority

S0409: Machete is an official MITRE ATT&CK software. Glexia treats it as defensive behavior context for prioritizing monitoring, control validation, and response planning without using the object by itself as an attribution claim.

Technical view

Security teams should validate S0409: Machete by reviewing the official ATT&CK relationships, mapped tactics (the mapped ATT&CK tactic context), supported platforms (Windows), and available local telemetry before making detection or mitigation decisions.

Likely telemetry

  • Official ATT&CK relationships and object metadata
  • Network, endpoint, and security-tool telemetry

Detection direction

  • Validate whether S0409: Machete appears in your detection coverage and tabletop scenarios.
  • Use the object to align executive risk language with SOC, incident response, and detection engineering work.
  • Do not treat ATT&CK relationship context as attribution without corroborating evidence.

Mitigation priorities

  • Map the object to existing controls and identify missing telemetry or response ownership.
  • Prioritize mitigations that reduce exposure on the listed platforms and tactics.
  • Review adjacent ATT&CK relationships before changing policy, detections, or reporting language.
Additional notes and limits

Baseline Glexia take generated from the official MITRE ATT&CK STIX object, source hash, tactics, platforms, and detection fields. It is safe to replace with a richer model-generated take for the same source hash later.

This baseline take is source-grounded and schema-validated, but it does not include environment-specific telemetry, incident evidence, or threat-intelligence corroboration.

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Official MITRE ATT&CK definition

Machete

Machete is a cyber espionage toolset used by Machete. It is a Python-based backdoor targeting Windows machines that was first observed in 2010.[1][2][3]

View the same entry on attack.mitre.org (MITRE-hosted reference; in-page links above use the Glexia ATT&CK library.)

Glexia analysis

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.

ATT&CK relationship table

Techniques used

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.

41 rows
DomainIDNameRelationship / procedure
EnterpriseT1140Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information

Machete’s downloaded data is decrypted using AES.[1]

EnterpriseT1573.001Symmetric CryptographySub-technique

Machete has used AES to exfiltrate documents.[1]

EnterpriseT1552.004Private KeysSub-technique

Machete has scanned and looked for cryptographic keys and certificate file extensions.[1]

EnterpriseT1041Exfiltration Over C2 Channel

Machete's collected data is exfiltrated over the same channel used for C2.[1]

EnterpriseT1070.004File DeletionSub-technique

Once a file is uploaded, Machete will delete it from the machine.[1]

EnterpriseT1057Process Discovery

Machete has a component to check for running processes to look for web browsers.[1]

EnterpriseT1125Video Capture

Machete takes photos from the computer’s web camera.[2]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[3]

EnterpriseT1027.002Software PackingSub-technique

Machete has been packed with NSIS.[1]

EnterpriseT1053.005Scheduled TaskSub-technique

The different components of Machete are executed by Windows Task Scheduler.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1217Browser Information Discovery

Machete retrieves the user profile data (e.g., browsers) from Chrome and Firefox browsers.[1]

EnterpriseT1555.003Credentials from Web BrowsersSub-technique

Machete collects stored credentials from several web browsers.[1]

EnterpriseT1132.001Standard EncodingSub-technique

Machete has used base64 encoding.[2]

EnterpriseT1071.002File Transfer ProtocolsSub-technique

Machete uses FTP for Command & Control.[1]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[3]

EnterpriseT1016System Network Configuration Discovery

Machete collects the MAC address of the target computer and other network configuration information.[1][3]

EnterpriseT1036.004Masquerade Task or ServiceSub-technique

Machete renamed task names to masquerade as legitimate Google Chrome, Java, Dropbox, Adobe Reader and Python tasks.[1]

EnterpriseT1020Automated Exfiltration

Machete’s collected files are exfiltrated automatically to remote servers.[1]

EnterpriseT1036.005Match Legitimate Resource Name or LocationSub-technique

Machete renamed payloads to masquerade as legitimate Google Chrome, Java, Dropbox, Adobe Reader and Python executables.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1029Scheduled Transfer

Machete sends stolen data to the C2 server every 10 minutes.[1]

EnterpriseT1074.001Local Data StagingSub-technique

Machete stores files and logs in a folder on the local drive.[1]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017

EnterpriseT1115Clipboard Data

Machete hijacks the clipboard data by creating an overlapped window that listens to keyboard events.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1547.001Registry Run Keys / Startup FolderSub-technique

Machete used the startup folder for persistence.[2]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017

EnterpriseT1123Audio Capture

Machete captures audio from the computer’s microphone.[2]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[3]

EnterpriseT1071.001Web ProtocolsSub-technique

Machete uses HTTP for Command & Control.[1]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[3]

EnterpriseT1010Application Window Discovery

Machete saves the window names.[1]

EnterpriseT1560.003Archive via Custom MethodSub-technique

Machete's collected data is encrypted with AES before exfiltration.[1]

EnterpriseT1105Ingress Tool Transfer

Machete can download additional files for execution on the victim’s machine.[1]

EnterpriseT1025Data from Removable Media

Machete can find, encrypt, and upload files from fixed and removable drives.CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[1]

EnterpriseT1052.001Exfiltration over USBSub-technique

Machete has a feature to copy files from every drive onto a removable drive in a hidden folder.[1][2]

EnterpriseT1573.002Asymmetric CryptographySub-technique

Machete has used TLS-encrypted FTP to exfiltrate data.CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017

EnterpriseT1056.001KeyloggingSub-technique

Machete logs keystrokes from the victim’s machine.[1][2]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[3]

EnterpriseT1016.002Wi-Fi DiscoverySub-technique

Machete uses the netsh wlan show networks mode=bssid and netsh wlan show interfaces commands to list all nearby WiFi networks and connected interfaces.[1]

EnterpriseT1120Peripheral Device Discovery

Machete detects the insertion of new devices by listening for the WM_DEVICECHANGE window message.[1]

EnterpriseT1005Data from Local System

Machete searches the File system for files of interest.[1]

EnterpriseT1008Fallback Channels

Machete has sent data over HTTP if FTP failed, and has also used a fallback server.[1]

EnterpriseT1560Archive Collected Data

Machete stores zipped files with profile data from installed web browsers.[1]

EnterpriseT1059.006PythonSub-technique

Machete is written in Python and is used in conjunction with additional Python scripts.[1][2][3]

EnterpriseT1083File and Directory Discovery

Machete produces file listings in order to search for files to be exfiltrated.[1]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[3]

EnterpriseT1082System Information Discovery

Machete collects the hostname of the target computer.[1]

EnterpriseT1564.001Hidden Files and DirectoriesSub-technique

Machete has the capability to exfiltrate stolen data to a hidden folder on a removable drive.[1]

EnterpriseT1113Screen Capture

Machete captures screenshots.[1][2]CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[3]

EnterpriseT1027.010Command ObfuscationSub-technique

Machete has used pyobfuscate, zlib compression, and base64 encoding for obfuscation. Machete has also used some visual obfuscation techniques by naming variables as combinations of letters to hinder analysis.CitationCylance Machete Mar 2017[1]

Associated objects

Groups, software, and campaigns

GroupEnterprise

G0095: Machete

Machete is a suspected Spanish-speaking cyber espionage group that has been active since at least 2010. It has primarily focused its operations within Latin America, with a particular emphasis on Venezuela, but also in the US, Europe, Russia, and parts of Asia. Machete generally targets high-profile organizations such as government institutions, intelligence services, and military units, as well as telecommunications and power companies.[1][2][3][4]

Relationship explorer

All related ATT&CK context

Change history

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.

ATT&CK release
19.2
Object version
2.2
Created
Modified
Raw hash
602a1fb25b198313...
Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases(2)
ReleaseBundle importedObject versionModifiedStatusRaw hash
19.22.2Current bundle602a1fb25b19…
19.12.2Older bundle602a1fb25b19…
Raw source

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.

Source references

External references and citations

MITRE external references are preserved separately from Glexia analysis so citations remain traceable to their original source records.

  1. [1]
    ESET Machete July 2019

    ESET. (2019, July). MACHETE JUST GOT SHARPER Venezuelan government institutions under attack. Retrieved September 13, 2019.

    Open source URL
  2. [2]
    Securelist Machete Aug 2014

    Kaspersky Global Research and Analysis Team. (2014, August 20). El Machete. Retrieved September 13, 2019.

    Open source URL
  3. [3]
    360 Machete Sep 2020

    kate. (2020, September 25). APT-C-43 steals Venezuelan military secrets to provide intelligence support for the reactionaries — HpReact campaign. Retrieved November 20, 2020.

    Open source URL
  4. [4]
    Machete

    (Citation: Securelist Machete Aug 2014)

  5. [5]
    Pyark

    (Citation: 360 Machete Sep 2020)

  6. [6]
    mitre-attackS0409
    Open source URL
Source and licensing

Source: MITRE ATT&CK®. © 2026 The MITRE Corporation. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of The MITRE Corporation. MITRE ATT&CK and ATT&CK are registered trademarks of The MITRE Corporation. Glexia is not affiliated with or endorsed by MITRE.