H3XAOperational intelligence
Live analytical pictureEvidence before assessment
TypeTechnique
External ID—
First seen2026-08-14
Last seen2026-08-14

Confidence

—

Adversaries may register malicious network provider dynamic link libraries (DLLs) to capture cleartext user credentials during the authentication process. Network provider DLLs allow Windows to interface with specific network protocols and can also support add-on credential management functions.(Citation: Network Provider API) During the logon process, Winlogon (the interactive logon module) sends credentials to the local `mpnotify.exe` process via RPC. The `mpnotify.exe` process then shares the credentials in cleartext with registered credential managers when notifying that a logon event is happening.(Citation: NPPSPY - Huntress)(Citation: NPPSPY Video)(Citation: NPLogonNotify) Adversaries can configure a malicious network provider DLL to receive credentials from `mpnotify.exe`.(Citation: NPPSPY) Once installed as a credential manager (via the Registry), a malicious DLL can receive and save credentials each time a user logs onto a Windows workstation or domain via the `NPLogonNotify()` function.(Citation: NPLogonNotify) Adversaries may target planting malicious network provider DLLs on systems known to have increased logon activity and/or administrator logon activity, such as servers and domain controllers.(Citation: NPPSPY - Huntress)

4 recorded

Relationships

mitigates
from Audit
Mitigation
mitigatesMitigation
mitigatesMitigation
subtechnique-ofTechnique
6 external

References

mitre-attack
T1556.008
open
NPPSPY - Huntress
https://www.huntress.com/blog/cleartext-shenanigans-gifting-user-passwords-to-adversaries-with-nppspy
open
NPPSPY Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggY3srD9dYs
open
NPPSPY
https://github.com/gtworek/PSBits/tree/master/PasswordStealing/NPPSpy
open
Network Provider API
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/secauthn/network-provider-api
open
NPLogonNotify
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/npapi/nf-npapi-nplogonnotify
open