kevmap

TechniquesT1566.001 › AN0657

AN0657 Analytic 0657

macOS · attack.mitre.org · ATT&CK Enterprise v19.2

<p>Phishing attachment detection on macOS through correlation of Mail app logs, file creation in user directories, and abnormal process execution (e.g., Preview.app or Mail.app spawning Terminal or scripting binaries). Network traffic after attachment interaction is also monitored.</p>
Detects
T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment
Part of
DET0236 Detection Strategy for Spearphishing Attachment across OS Platforms

Log sources and channels

Exactly as MITRE states them in x_mitre_log_source_references. Where a channel is vague, it is vague in the source; kevmap does not tidy it.

Log sourceChannelData component
macos:unifiedlogInbound messages with attachments from suspicious domainsDC0038 Application Log Content
macos:unifiedlogExecution of Terminal, osascript, or other interpreters originating from Mail or PreviewDC0032 Process Creation
macos:unifiedlogAttachment files written to ~/Downloads or temporary foldersDC0039 File Creation

Mutable elements

Parameters MITRE marks as environment-specific. These are the knobs you are expected to tune; they are why an analytic is not a rule.

FieldDescription
ExecutionDelayThresholdTime delay between attachment download and execution considered suspicious.
SuspiciousParentAppsParent processes expected to rarely spawn child processes (e.g., Mail.app, Preview.app).

KEV CVEs whose mapped technique this analytic detects

CVEVendor / productState
CVE-2013-0640Adobe Reader and AcrobatMapped
CVE-2017-11292Adobe Flash PlayerMapped
CVE-2017-11882Microsoft OfficeMapped
CVE-2022-41033Microsoft Windows COM+ Event System ServiceMapped
CVE-2023-2868Barracuda Networks Email Security Gateway (ESG) ApplianceMapped
CVE-2025-04117-Zip 7-ZipMapped
CVE-2025-33053Microsoft WindowsMapped