MITRE ATT&CK v20 Adds Tracking for AI Abuse and MFA Bypass Tactics

MITRE has released version 20 of its ATT&CK framework, providing security teams with updated guidance for tracking emerging adversary tradecraft. The latest iteration includes 15 new detection strategies, split between the Enterprise and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) domains.

The update significantly expands the framework’s coverage of AI-related threats. New techniques now document how adversaries perform prompt injection—either through direct user input or via external data ingested by Large Language Models (LLMs). Furthermore, the framework now tracks malicious actors using an organization’s internal AI agents to exfiltrate data, as well as techniques designed to poison search results or disrupt LLM-assisted malware analysis.

Identity-based attacks also feature prominently in the v20 release. The updated framework includes specific tracking for the theft of application-specific passwords, which allow attackers to bypass standard multi-factor authentication (MFA) prompts. New sub-techniques also address the automated solving and evasion of CAPTCHA challenges.

In the ICS domain, the framework has been updated to reflect recent activity targeting critical infrastructure. This includes documentation of campaigns involving internet-exposed programmable logic controllers (PLCs) at water and wastewater utilities. Additionally, the ICS domain now adopts the Command and Scripting Interpreter technique, replacing deprecated methods to better align with current operational technology (OT) monitoring requirements.

MITRE has also updated its documentation of specific threat actors and their evolving capabilities. The latest entries cover the group known as Nimbus Manticore, the China-linked Salt Typhoon, and North Korea’s APT38, which has reportedly shifted its focus toward software supply chain attacks. For mobile security, the framework reintroduced techniques related to the side-loading of malicious applications, while adding coverage for NGate malware, which uses NFC relaying to facilitate fraudulent ATM withdrawals.

Defenders are encouraged to integrate the 38 new analytics provided in v20 to improve detection capabilities, with the ICS-focused analytics specifically tuned to filter out routine maintenance and engineering tasks.