T1529 System Shutdown/Reboot — ATT&CK Technique

Adversaries may shutdown/reboot systems to interrupt access to, or aid in the destruction of, those systems. Operating systems may contain commands to initiate a shutdown/reboot of a machine or network device. In some cases, these commands may also be used to initiate a shutdown/reboot of a remote computer or network device via Network Device CLI (e.g. reload). They may also include shutdown/reboot of a virtual machine via hypervisor / cloud consoles or command line tools. Shutting down or rebooting systems may disrupt access to computer resources for legitimate users while also impeding incident response/recovery. Adversaries may also use Windows API functions, such as `InitializeSystemShutdownExW` or `ExitWindowsEx`, to force a system to shut down or reboot. Alternatively, the `NtRaiseHardError`or `ZwRaiseHardError` Windows API functions with the `ResponseOption` parameter set to `OptionShutdownSystem` may deliver a “blue screen of death” (BSOD) to a system. In order to leverage these API functions, an adversary may need to acquire `SeShutdownPrivilege` (e.g., via Access Token Manipulation). In some cases, the system may not be able to boot again. Adversaries may attempt to shutdown/reboot a system after impacting it in other ways, such as Disk Structure Wipe or Inhibit System Recovery, to hasten the intended effects on system availability.

Detection coverage (16)

Malware using this technique

Threat actors using this technique

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