T1102.002

Official Description

Adversaries may use an existing, legitimate external Web service as a means for sending commands to and receiving output from a compromised system over the Web service channel. Compromised systems may leverage popular websites and social media to host command and control (C2) instructions. Those infected systems can then send the output from those commands back over that Web service channel. The return traffic may occur in a variety of ways, depending on the Web service being utilized. For example, the return traffic may take the form of the compromised system posting a comment on a forum, issuing a pull request to development project, updating a document hosted on a Web service, or by sending a Tweet.

Popular websites and social media acting as a mechanism for C2 may give a significant amount of cover due to the likelihood that hosts within a network are already communicating with them prior to a compromise. Using common services, such as those offered by Google or Twitter, makes it easier for adversaries to hide in expected noise. Web service providers commonly use SSL/TLS encryption, giving adversaries an added level of protection.

Tactics: Command And Control
Platforms: ESXi, Linux, macOS, Windows
Parent Technique: T1102 · Web Service
MITRE Version: 1.1
Last Modified: May 12, 2026

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Reported Context (1)

PulseRAT reads commands from an attacker-controlled Google Spreadsheet and writes command output and heartbeat data back to it. Analysis Finds .NET RAT Using Google Sheets C2 in UAE–India-Themed ISO

Malware (1)

MITRE ATT&CK (5)

Vendors (1)

Products (2)

Note: Related entities, including threat actors, malware, CVEs, MITRE ATT&CK techniques, vendors, products, tools, countries, and industries, are shown when they appear in the same reporting. Their presence does not necessarily mean they were targeted, compromised, vulnerable, responsible for the activity, or directly involved in the incident.