T1574.014

Official Description

Adversaries may execute their own malicious payloads by hijacking how the .NET `AppDomainManager` loads assemblies. The .NET framework uses the `AppDomainManager` class to create and manage one or more isolated runtime environments (called application domains) inside a process to host the execution of .NET applications. Assemblies (`.exe` or `.dll` binaries compiled to run as .NET code) may be loaded into an application domain as executable code.(Citation: Microsoft App Domains)

Known as "AppDomainManager injection," adversaries may execute arbitrary code by hijacking how .NET applications load assemblies. For example, malware may create a custom application domain inside a target process to load and execute an arbitrary assembly. Alternatively, configuration files (`.config`) or process environment variables that define .NET runtime settings may be tampered with to instruct otherwise benign .NET applications to load a malicious assembly (identified by name) into the target process.(Citation: PenTestLabs AppDomainManagerInject)(Citation: PwC Yellow Liderc)(Citation: Rapid7 AppDomain Manager Injection)

Tactics: Stealth, Execution
Platforms: Windows
Parent Technique: T1574 · Hijack Execution Flow
MITRE Version: 2.0
Last Modified: May 12, 2026

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Reported Context (1)

Attackers altered RuntimeBroker.exe.config to make a renamed Visual Studio hosting process execute their AppDomainManager. Iranian-Aligned Blinder Tunnel Campaign Targets Iraqi Critical Infrastructure

Malware (8)

Threat Actors (1)

MITRE ATT&CK (11)

Vendors (5)

Products (13)

Tools (3)

Industries (3)

Countries (5)

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.