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MITRE ATT&CK® Malware

S0603: Stuxnet

Stuxnet was the first publicly reported malware to specifically target industrial control systems devices. Stuxnet is a large and complex malware that utilized multiple behaviors, including numerous zero-day vulnerabilities, a sophisticated Windows rootkit, and network infection routines.[1][2][3][4] Stuxnet was discovered in 2010, with some components being used as early as November 2008.[1]

EnterpriseS0603MalwareObject v1.5Modified
Glexia's Take · Automated analysis

Security context for executives and security teams

Automation confidenceMedium

S0603: Stuxnet describes [Stuxnet](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0603) was the first publicly reported malware to specifically target industrial control systems devices. [Stuxnet](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0603) is a large and complex malware that utilized multiple behaviors, including numerous zero-day vulnerabilities, a sophisticated Windows rootkit, and network infection routines.(Citation: Nicolas Falliere, Liam O Murchu, Eric Chien February 2011)(Citation: CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-10-272-01)(Citation: ESET Stuxnet Under th...

Executive priority

S0603: Stuxnet 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 S0603: Stuxnet 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 S0603: Stuxnet 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

Stuxnet

Stuxnet was the first publicly reported malware to specifically target industrial control systems devices. Stuxnet is a large and complex malware that utilized multiple behaviors, including numerous zero-day vulnerabilities, a sophisticated Windows rootkit, and network infection routines.[1][2][3][4] Stuxnet was discovered in 2010, with some components being used as early as November 2008.[1]

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.

44 rows
DomainIDNameRelationship / procedure
EnterpriseT1016System Network Configuration Discovery

Stuxnet collects the IP address of a compromised system.[1]

EnterpriseT1082System Information Discovery

Stuxnet collects system information including computer and domain names, OS version, and S7P paths.[1]

EnterpriseT1132.001Standard EncodingSub-technique

Stuxnet transforms encrypted binary data into an ASCII string in order to use it as a URL parameter value.[1]

EnterpriseT1560.003Archive via Custom MethodSub-technique

Stuxnet encrypts exfiltrated data via C2 with static 31-byte long XOR keys.[1]

EnterpriseT1070.006TimestompSub-technique

Stuxnet extracts and writes driver files that match the times of other legitimate files.[1]

EnterpriseT1129Shared Modules

Stuxnet calls LoadLibrary then executes exports from a DLL.[1]

EnterpriseT1047Windows Management Instrumentation

Stuxnet used WMI with an explorer.exe token to execute on a remote share.[1]

EnterpriseT1112Modify Registry

Stuxnet can create registry keys to load driver files.[1]

EnterpriseT1543.003Windows ServiceSub-technique

Stuxnet uses a driver registered as a boot start service as the main load-point.[1]

EnterpriseT1140Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information

Stuxnet decrypts resources that are loaded into memory and executed.[1]

EnterpriseT1070.004File DeletionSub-technique

Stuxnet uses an RPC server that contains a routine for file deletion and also removes itself from the system through a DLL export by deleting specific files.[1]

EnterpriseT1134.001Token Impersonation/TheftSub-technique

Stuxnet attempts to impersonate an anonymous token to enumerate bindings in the service control manager.[1]

EnterpriseT1210Exploitation of Remote Services

Stuxnet propagates using the MS10-061 Print Spooler and MS08-067 Windows Server Service vulnerabilities.[1]

EnterpriseT1027.013Encrypted/Encoded FileSub-technique

Stuxnet uses encrypted configuration blocks and writes encrypted files to disk.[1]

EnterpriseT1091Replication Through Removable Media

Stuxnet can propagate via removable media using an autorun.inf file or the CVE-2010-2568 LNK vulnerability.[1]

EnterpriseT1480Execution Guardrails

Stuxnet checks for specific operating systems on 32-bit machines, Registry keys, and dates for vulnerabilities, and will exit execution if the values are not met.[1]

EnterpriseT1041Exfiltration Over C2 Channel

Stuxnet sends compromised victim information via HTTP.[1]

EnterpriseT1070Indicator Removal

Stuxnet can delete OLE Automation and SQL stored procedures used to store malicious payloads.[1]

EnterpriseT1055.001Dynamic-link Library InjectionSub-technique

Stuxnet injects an entire DLL into an existing, newly created, or preselected trusted process.[1]

EnterpriseT1573.001Symmetric CryptographySub-technique

Stuxnet encodes the payload of system information sent to the command and control servers using a one byte 0xFF XOR key. Stuxnet also uses a 31-byte long static byte string to XOR data sent to command and control servers. The servers use a different static key to encrypt replies to the implant.[1]

EnterpriseT1014Rootkit

Stuxnet uses a Windows rootkit to mask its binaries and other relevant files.[1]

EnterpriseT1071.001Web ProtocolsSub-technique

Stuxnet uses HTTP to communicate with a command and control server. [1]

EnterpriseT1083File and Directory Discovery

Stuxnet uses a driver to scan for specific filesystem driver objects.[1]

EnterpriseT1008Fallback Channels

Stuxnet has the ability to generate new C2 domains.[1]

EnterpriseT1087.002Domain AccountSub-technique

Stuxnet enumerates user accounts of the domain.[1]

EnterpriseT1120Peripheral Device Discovery

Stuxnet enumerates removable drives for infection.[1]

EnterpriseT1685Disable or Modify Tools

Stuxnet reduces the integrity level of objects to allow write actions.[1]

EnterpriseT1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Stuxnet used MS10-073 and an undisclosed Task Scheduler vulnerability to escalate privileges on local Windows machines.[1]

EnterpriseT1078.001Default AccountsSub-technique

Stuxnet infected WinCC machines via a hardcoded database server password.[1]

EnterpriseT1518.001Security Software DiscoverySub-technique

Stuxnet enumerates the currently running processes related to a variety of security products.[1]

EnterpriseT1087.001Local AccountSub-technique

Stuxnet enumerates user accounts of the local host.[1]

EnterpriseT1021.002SMB/Windows Admin SharesSub-technique

Stuxnet propagates to available network shares.[1]

EnterpriseT1012Query Registry

Stuxnet searches the Registry for indicators of security programs.[1]

EnterpriseT1124System Time Discovery

Stuxnet collects the time and date of a system when it is infected.[1]

EnterpriseT1553.002Code SigningSub-technique

Stuxnet used a digitally signed driver with a compromised Realtek certificate.[1]

EnterpriseT1135Network Share Discovery

Stuxnet enumerates the directories of a network resource.[1]

EnterpriseT1078.002Domain AccountsSub-technique

Stuxnet attempts to access network resources with a domain account’s credentials.[1]

EnterpriseT1106Native API

Stuxnet uses the SetSecurityDescriptorDacl API to reduce object integrity levels.[1]

EnterpriseT1570Lateral Tool Transfer

Stuxnet uses an RPC server that contains a file dropping routine and support for payload version updates for P2P communications within a victim network.[1]

EnterpriseT1053.005Scheduled TaskSub-technique

Stuxnet schedules a network job to execute two minutes after host infection.[1]

EnterpriseT1021Remote Services

Stuxnet can propagate via peer-to-peer communication and updates using RPC.[1]

EnterpriseT1090.001Internal ProxySub-technique

Stuxnet installs an RPC server for P2P communications.[1]

EnterpriseT1080Taint Shared Content

Stuxnet infects remote servers via network shares and by infecting WinCC database views with malicious code.[1]

EnterpriseT1505.001SQL Stored ProceduresSub-technique

Stuxnet used xp_cmdshell to store and execute SQL code.[1]

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
20.0
Object version
1.5
Created
Modified
Raw hash
74474168243990b4...
Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases(3)
ReleaseBundle importedObject versionModifiedStatusRaw hash
20.01.5Current bundle744741682439…
19.21.5Older bundle744741682439…
19.11.5Older bundle744741682439…
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]
    Nicolas Falliere, Liam O Murchu, Eric Chien February 2011

    Nicolas Falliere, Liam O Murchu, Eric Chien 2011, February W32.Stuxnet Dossier (Version 1.4) Retrieved November 17, 2024.

    Open source URL
  2. [2]
    CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-10-272-01

    CISA. (2010, September 10). ICS Advisory (ICSA-10-272-01). Retrieved December 7, 2020.

    Open source URL
  3. [3]
    ESET Stuxnet Under the Microscope

    Matrosov, A., Rodionov, E., Harley, D., Malcho, J.. (n.d.). Stuxnet Under the Microscope. Retrieved December 7, 2020.

    Open source URL
  4. [4]
    Langer Stuxnet

    Ralph Langner. (2013, November). To Kill a Centrifuge: A Technical Analysis of What Stuxnet's Creators Tried to Achieve. Retrieved December 7, 2020.

    Open source URL
  5. [5]
    W32.Stuxnet

    (Citation: Nicolas Falliere, Liam O Murchu, Eric Chien February 2011)

  6. [6]
    mitre-attackS0603
    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.