Adversaries may search local file systems and remote file shares for files containing insecurely stored credentials. These can be files created by users to store their own credentials, shared credential stores for a group of individuals, configuration files containing passwords for a system or service, or source code/binary files containing embedded passwords.

It is possible to extract passwords from backups or saved virtual machines through [OS Credential Dumping](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003).(Citation: CG 2014) Passwords may also be obtained from Group Policy Preferences stored on the Windows Domain Controller.(Citation: SRD GPP)

In cloud and/or containerized environments, authenticated user and service account credentials are often stored in local configuration and credential files.(Citation: Unit 42 Hildegard Malware) They may also be found as parameters to deployment commands in container logs.(Citation: Unit 42 Unsecured Docker Daemons) In some cases, these files can be copied and reused on another machine or the contents can be read and then used to authenticate without needing to copy any files.(Citation: Specter Ops - Cloud Credential Storage)
Credentials In Files
source_name: mitre-attack  url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1552/001  external_id: T1552.001     source_name: CG 2014  description: CG. (2014, May 20). Mimikatz Against Virtual Machine Memory Part 1. Retrieved November 12, 2014.  url: http://carnal0wnage.attackresearch.com/2014/05/mimikatz-against-virtual-machine-memory.html     source_name: Unit 42 Hildegard Malware  description: Chen, J. et al. (2021, February 3). Hildegard: New TeamTNT Cryptojacking Malware Targeting Kubernetes. Retrieved April 5, 2021.  url: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/hildegard-malware-teamtnt/     source_name: Unit 42 Unsecured Docker Daemons  description: Chen, J.. (2020, January 29). Attacker's Tactics and Techniques in Unsecured Docker Daemons Revealed. Retrieved March 31, 2021.  url: https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/attackers-tactics-and-techniques-in-unsecured-docker-daemons-revealed/     source_name: Specter Ops - Cloud Credential Storage  description: Maddalena, C.. (2018, September 12). Head in the Clouds. Retrieved October 4, 2019.  url: https://posts.specterops.io/head-in-the-clouds-bd038bb69e48     source_name: SRD GPP  description: Security Research and Defense. (2014, May 13). MS14-025: An Update for Group Policy Preferences. Retrieved January 28, 2015.  url: http://blogs.technet.com/b/srd/archive/2014/05/13/ms14-025-an-update-for-group-policy-preferences.aspx     