Container CLI/API

What the technique is

Adversaries may abuse built-in CLI tools or API calls to execute malicious commands in containerized environments. The Docker CLI is used for managing containers via an exposed API point from the dockerd daemon. Some common examples of Docker CLI include Docker Desktop CLI and Docker Compose, but users are also able to use SDKs to interact with the API. For example, Docker SDK for Python can be used to run commands within a Python application. Adversaries may leverage the Docker CLI, API, or SDK to pull or build Docker images (i.e., Ingress Tool Transfer, Build Image on Host), run containers (i.e., Deploy Container), or execute commands inside running containers (i.e., Container Administration Command). In some cases, threat actors may pull legitimate images that include scripts or tools that they can leverage - for example, using an image that includes the curl command to download payloads. Adversaries may also utilize docker inspect and docker ps to scan for cloud environment variables and other running containers (i.e., Container and Resource Discovery). Kubernetes is responsible for the management and orchestration of containers across clusters. The Kubernetes control plane, which manages the state of the cluster and is responsible for scheduling, communication, and resource monitoring, can be invoked directly via the API or indirectly via CLI tools such as kubectl. […]

What MITRE says you would watch

• AN0233

  Execution of container orchestration commands (e.g., docker exec, kubectl exec) or API-driven interactions with running containers from unauthorized hosts or non-standard user contexts. Defender sees programmatic or interactive command execution within containers outside expected CI/CD tools or automation frameworks, often followed by file writes, privilege escalation, or lateral discovery.