This document was designed to be a useful, informational asset for those looking to understand the specific tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) attackers are leveraging to compromise active directory and guidance to mitigation, detection, and prevention. And understand Active Directory Kill Chain Attack and Modern Post Exploitation Adversary Tradecraft Activity.
- Discovery
- Privilege Escalation
- Defense Evasion
- Credential Dumping
- Lateral Movement
- Persistence
- Defense & Detection
- SPN Scanning – Service Discovery without Network Port Scanning
- Active Directory: PowerShell script to list all SPNs used
- Discovering Service Accounts Without Using Privileges
- A Data Hunting Overview
- Push it, Push it Real Good
- Finding Sensitive Data on Domain SQL Servers using PowerUpSQL
- Sensitive Data Discovery in Email with MailSniper
- Remotely Searching for Sensitive Files
- I Hunt Sysadmins - harmj0y
- Hidden Administrative Accounts: BloodHound to the Rescue
- Active Directory Recon Without Admin Rights
- Gathering AD Data with the Active Directory PowerShell Module
- Using ActiveDirectory module for Domain Enumeration from PowerShell Constrained Language Mode
- PowerUpSQL Active Directory Recon Functions
- Derivative Local Admin
- Dumping Active Directory Domain Info – with PowerUpSQL!
- Local Group Enumeration
- Attack Mapping With Bloodhound
- Situational Awareness
- Commands for Domain Network Compromise
- A Pentester’s Guide to Group Scoping
- Microsoft LAPS Security & Active Directory LAPS Configuration Recon
- Running LAPS with PowerView
- RastaMouse LAPS Part 1 & 2
- I'm in your cloud... reading everyone's email. Hacking Azure AD via Active Directory
- Utilizing Azure Services for Red Team Engagements
- Blue Cloud of Death: Red Teaming Azure
- Azure AD Connect for Red Teamers
- Red Teaming Microsoft: Part 1 – Active Directory Leaks via Azure
- Attacking & Defending the Microsoft Cloud
- 118 Attacking ADFS Endpoints with PowerShell Karl Fosaaen
- Using PowerShell to Identify Federated Domains
- LyncSniper: A tool for penetration testing Skype for Business and Lync deployments
- Troopers 19 - I am AD FS and So Can You
- Finding Passwords in SYSVOL & Exploiting Group Policy Preferences
- Pentesting in the Real World: Group Policy Pwnage
- MS14-068: Vulnerability in (Active Directory) Kerberos Could Allow Elevation of Privilege
- Digging into MS14-068, Exploitation and Defence
- From MS14-068 to Full Compromise – Step by Step
- Abusing DNSAdmins privilege for escalation in Active Directory
- From DNSAdmins to Domain Admin, When DNSAdmins is More than Just DNS Administration
- Active Directory Security Risk #101: Kerberos Unconstrained Delegation (or How Compromise of a Single Server Can Compromise the Domain)
- Domain Controller Print Server + Unconstrained Kerberos Delegation = Pwned Active Directory Forest
- Active Directory Security Risk #101: Kerberos Unconstrained Delegation (or How Compromise of a Single Server Can Compromise the Domain)
- Unconstrained Delegation Permissions
- Trust? Years to earn, seconds to break
- Hunting in Active Directory: Unconstrained Delegation & Forests Trusts
- Another Word on Delegation
- From Kekeo to Rubeus
- S4U2Pwnage
- Kerberos Delegation, Spns And More...
- Wagging the Dog: Abusing Resource-Based Constrained Delegation to Attack Active Directory
- Abusing GPO Permissions
- A Red Teamer’s Guide to GPOs and OUs
- File templates for GPO Abuse
- GPO Abuse - Part 1
- SharpGPOAbuse
- Exploiting Weak Active Directory Permissions With Powersploit
- Escalating privileges with ACLs in Active Directory
- Abusing Active Directory Permissions with PowerView
- BloodHound 1.3 – The ACL Attack Path Update
- Scanning for Active Directory Privileges & Privileged Accounts
- Active Directory Access Control List – Attacks and Defense
- aclpwn - Active Directory ACL exploitation with BloodHound
- A Guide to Attacking Domain Trusts
- It's All About Trust – Forging Kerberos Trust Tickets to Spoof Access across Active Directory Trusts
- Active Directory forest trusts part 1 - How does SID filtering work?
- The Forest Is Under Control. Taking over the entire Active Directory forest
- Not A Security Boundary: Breaking Forest Trusts
- The Trustpocalypse
- Pentesting Active Directory Forests
- Privilege Escalation With DCShadow
- DCShadow
- DCShadow explained: A technical deep dive into the latest AD attack technique
- DCShadow - Silently turn off Active Directory Auditing
- DCShadow - Minimal permissions, Active Directory Deception, Shadowception and more
- How to get SQL Server Sysadmin Privileges as a Local Admin with PowerUpSQL
- Compromise With Powerupsql – Sql Attacks
- Pwning with Responder – A Pentester’s Guide
- Practical guide to NTLM Relaying in 2017 (A.K.A getting a foothold in under 5 minutes)
- Relaying credentials everywhere with ntlmrelayx
- Beyond LLMNR/NBNS Spoofing – Exploiting Active Directory-Integrated DNS
- SQL Server – Link… Link… Link… and Shell: How to Hack Database Links in SQL Server!
- SQL Server Link Crawling with PowerUpSQL
- Performing Pass-the-hash Attacks With Mimikatz
- How to Pass-the-Hash with Mimikatz
- Pass-the-Hash Is Dead: Long Live LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy
- Targeted Workstation Compromise With Sccm
- PowerSCCM - PowerShell module to interact with SCCM deployments
- Password Spraying Windows Active Directory Accounts - Tradecraft Security Weekly #5
- Attacking Exchange with MailSniper
- A Password Spraying tool for Active Directory Credentials by Jacob Wilkin
- SprayingToolkit
- GoFetch is a tool to automatically exercise an attack plan generated by the BloodHound application
- DeathStar - Automate getting Domain Admin using Empire
- ANGRYPUPPY - Bloodhound Attack Path Automation in CobaltStrike
- Bypassing Memory Scanners with Cobalt Strike and Gargoyle
- In-Memory Evasions Course
- Bring Your Own Land (BYOL) – A Novel Red Teaming Technique
- Red Teaming in the EDR age
- Sharp-Suite - Process Argument Spoofing
- Red Team Tactics: Combining Direct System Calls and sRDI to bypass AV/EDR
- Dechaining Macros and Evading EDR
- Bypass EDR’s memory protection, introduction to hooking
- Bypassing Cylance and other AVs/EDRs by Unhooking Windows APIs
- Silencing Cylance: A Case Study in Modern EDRs
- Modern Defenses and YOU!
- OPSEC Considerations for Beacon Commands
- Red Team Tradecraft and TTP Guidance
- Fighting the Toolset
- Red Team Techniques for Evading, Bypassing, and Disabling MS Advanced Threat Protection and Advanced Threat Analytics
- Red Team Revenge - Attacking Microsoft ATA
- Evading Microsoft ATA for Active Directory Domination
- How to bypass AMSI and execute ANY malicious Powershell code
- AMSI: How Windows 10 Plans to Stop Script-Based Attacks
- AMSI Bypass: Patching Technique
- Invisi-Shell - Hide your Powershell script in plain sight. Bypass all Powershell security features
- Dynamic Microsoft Office 365 AMSI In Memory Bypass Using VBA
- AmsiScanBuffer Bypass - Part 1
- AMSI Bypass
- Subverting Sysmon: Application of a Formalized Security Product Evasion Methodology
- sysmon-config-bypass-finder
- How Attackers Pull the Active Directory Database (NTDS.dit) from a Domain Controller
- Extracting Password Hashes From The Ntds.dit File
- Kerberoasting Without Mimikatz
- Cracking Kerberos TGS Tickets Using Kerberoast – Exploiting Kerberos to Compromise the Active Directory Domain
- Extracting Service Account Passwords With Kerberoasting
- Cracking Service Account Passwords with Kerberoasting
- Kerberoast PW list for cracking passwords with complexity requirements
- Mimikatz and DCSync and ExtraSids, Oh My
- Mimikatz DCSync Usage, Exploitation, and Detection
- Dump Clear-Text Passwords for All Admins in the Domain Using Mimikatz DCSync
- How Attackers Use Kerberos Silver Tickets to Exploit Systems
- Sneaky Active Directory Persistence #16: Computer Accounts & Domain Controller Silver Tickets
- Sneaky Active Directory Persistence #15: Leverage AdminSDHolder & SDProp to (Re)Gain Domain Admin Rights
- Persistence Using Adminsdholder And Sdprop
- Unlocking All The Doors To Active Directory With The Skeleton Key Attack
- Skeleton Key
- Attackers Can Now Use Mimikatz to Implant Skeleton Key on Domain Controllers & BackDoor Your Active Directory Forest
- The Most Dangerous User Right You (Probably) Have Never Heard Of
- SeEnableDelegationPrivilege Active Directory Backdoor
- Sneaky Active Directory Persistence #11: Directory Service Restore Mode (DSRM)
- Sneaky Active Directory Persistence #13: DSRM Persistence v2
- An ACE Up the Sleeve: Designing Active Directory DACL Backdoors
- Shadow Admins – The Stealthy Accounts That You Should Fear The Most
- The Unintended Risks of Trusting Active Directory
- PowerView - Situational Awareness PowerShell framework
- BloodHound - Six Degrees of Domain Admin
- Impacket - Impacket is a collection of Python classes for working with network protocols
- aclpwn.py - Active Directory ACL exploitation with BloodHound
- CrackMapExec - A swiss army knife for pentesting networks
- ADACLScanner - A tool with GUI or command linte used to create reports of access control lists (DACLs) and system access control lists (SACLs) in Active Directory
- zBang - zBang is a risk assessment tool that detects potential privileged account threats
- PowerUpSQL - A PowerShell Toolkit for Attacking SQL Server
- Rubeus - Rubeus is a C# toolset for raw Kerberos interaction and abuses
- ADRecon - A tool which gathers information about the Active Directory and generates a report which can provide a holistic picture of the current state of the target AD environment
- Mimikatz - Utility to extract plaintexts passwords, hash, PIN code and kerberos tickets from memory but also perform pass-the-hash, pass-the-ticket or build Golden tickets
- Grouper - A PowerShell script for helping to find vulnerable settings in AD Group Policy.
- Powermad - PowerShell MachineAccountQuota and DNS exploit tools
- The Dog Whisperer’s Handbook – A Hacker’s Guide to the BloodHound Galaxy
- Varonis eBook: Pen Testing Active Directory Environments
- Tools Cheat Sheets - Tools (PowerView, PowerUp, Empire, and PowerSploit)
- DogWhisperer - BloodHound Cypher Cheat Sheet (v2)
- PowerView-3.0 tips and tricks
- PowerView-2.0 tips and tricks
- BloodhoundAD-Queries
- Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for Attacking Active Directory BlackHat Asia 2019
- Bloodhound walkthrough. A Tool for Many Tradecrafts
- Attack Methods for Gaining Domain Admin Rights in Active Directory
- PowerShell Is Dead Epic Learnings
- Finding Our Path: How We’re Trying to Improve Active Directory Security
- Create-Tiers in AD - Project Title Active Directory Auto Deployment of Tiers in any environment
- SAMRi10 - Hardening SAM Remote Access in Windows 10/Server 2016
- Net Cease - Hardening Net Session Enumeration
- PingCastle - A tool designed to assess quickly the Active Directory security level with a methodology based on risk assessment and a maturity framework
- Aorato Skeleton Key Malware Remote DC Scanner - Remotely scans for the existence of the Skeleton Key Malware
- Reset the krbtgt account password/keys - This script will enable you to reset the krbtgt account password and related keys while minimizing the likelihood of Kerberos authentication issues being caused by the operation
- Reset The KrbTgt Account Password/Keys For RWDCs/RODCs
- Deploy-Deception - A PowerShell module to deploy active directory decoy objects
- dcept - A tool for deploying and detecting use of Active Directory honeytokens
- LogonTracer - Investigate malicious Windows logon by visualizing and analyzing Windows event log
- DCSYNCMonitor - Monitors for DCSYNC and DCSHADOW attacks and create custom Windows Events for these events
- Sigma - Generic Signature Format for SIEM Systems
- Sysmon - System Monitor (Sysmon) is a Windows system service and device driver that, once installed on a system, remains resident across system reboots to monitor and log system activity to the Windows event log.
- SysmonSearch - Investigate suspicious activity by visualizing Sysmon's event log
- ClrGuard - ClrGuard is a proof of concept project to explore instrumenting the Common Language Runtime (CLR) for security purposes.
- Get-ClrReflection - Detects memory-only CLR (.NET) modules.
- Get-InjectedThread - Get-InjectedThread looks at each running thread to determine if it is the result of memory injection.
- sysmon-modular - A Sysmon configuration repository for everybody to customise
- sysmon-dfir - Sources, configuration and how to detect evil things utilizing Microsoft Sysmon.
- sysmon-config - Sysmon configuration file template with default high-quality event tracing
- Manage local Administrator passwords (LAPS).
- Implement RDP Restricted Admin mode (as needed).
- Remove unsupported OSs from the network.
- Monitor scheduled tasks on sensitive systems (DCs, etc.).
- Ensure that OOB management passwords (DSRM) are changed regularly & securely stored.
- Use SMB v2/v3+
- Default domain Administrator & KRBTGT password should be changed every year & when an AD admin leaves.
- Remove trusts that are no longer necessary & enable SID filtering as appropriate.
- All domain authentications should be set (when possible) to: "Send NTLMv2 response onlyrefuse LM & NTLM."
- Block internet access for DCs, servers, & all administration systems.
- No "user" or computer accounts in admin groups.
- Ensure all admin accounts are "sensitive & cannot be delegated".
- Add admin accounts to "Protected Users" group (requires Windows Server 2012 R2 Domain Controllers, 2012R2 DFL for domain protection).
- Disable all inactive admin accounts and remove from privileged groups.
- Limit AD admin membership (DA, EA, Schema Admins, etc.) & only use custom delegation groups.
- ‘Tiered’ Administration mitigating credential theft impact.
- Ensure admins only logon to approved admin workstations & servers.
- Leverage time-based, temporary group membership for all admin accounts
- Limit to systems of the same security level.
- Leverage “(Group) Managed Service Accounts” (or PW >20 characters) to mitigate credential theft (kerberoast).
- Implement FGPP (DFL =>2008) to increase PW requirements for SAs and administrators.
- Logon restrictions – prevent interactive logon & limit logon capability to specific computers.
- Disable inactive SAs & remove from privileged groups.
- Segment network to protect admin & critical systems.
- Deploy IDS to monitor the internal corporate network.
- Network device & OOB management on separate network.
- Only run software & services to support AD.
- Minimal groups (& users) with DC admin/logon rights.
- Ensure patches are applied before running DCPromo (especially MS14-068 and other critical patches).
- Validate scheduled tasks & scripts.
- Patch quickly, especially privilege escalation vulnerabilities.
- Deploy security back-port patch (KB2871997).
- Set Wdigest reg key to 0 (KB2871997/Windows 8.1/2012R2+): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSecurityProvidersWdigest
- Deploy workstation whitelisting (Microsoft AppLocker) to block code exec in user folders – home dir & profile path.
- Deploy workstation app sandboxing technology (EMET) to mitigate application memory exploits (0-days).
- Enable enhanced auditing
- “Audit: Force audit policy subcategory settings (Windows Vista or later) to override audit policy category settings”
- Enable PowerShell module logging (“*”) & forward logs to central log server (WEF or other method).
- Enable CMD Process logging & enhancement (KB3004375) and forward logs to central log server.
- SIEM or equivalent to centralize as much log data as possible.
- User Behavioural Analysis system for enhanced knowledge of user activity (such as Microsoft ATA).
- Identify who has AD admin rights (domain/forest).
- Identify who can logon to Domain Controllers (& admin rights to virtual environment hosting virtual DCs).
- Scan Active Directory Domains, OUs, AdminSDHolder, & GPOs for inappropriate custom permissions.
- Ensure AD admins (aka Domain Admins) protect their credentials by not logging into untrusted systems (workstations).
- Limit service account rights that are currently DA (or equivalent).
- CVE-2019-1040 - Windows NTLM Tampering Vulnerability
- CVE-2019-0708 - Remote Desktop Services Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- CVE-2018-8581 - Microsoft Exchange Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
- CVE-2017-0143 - Windows SMB Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- CVE-2016-0128 - Windows SAM and LSAD Downgrade Vulnerability
- CVE-2014-6324 - Vulnerability in Kerberos Could Allow Elevation of Privilege (3011780)
- CVE-2014-1812 - Vulnerability in Group Policy Preferences could allow elevation of privilege
| Attack | Event ID |
|---|---|
| Account and Group Enumeration | 4798: A user's local group membership was enumerated 4799: A security-enabled local group membership was enumerated |
| AdminSDHolder | 4780: The ACL was set on accounts which are members of administrators groups |
| Kekeo | 4624: Account Logon 4672: Admin Logon 4768: Kerberos TGS Request |
| Silver Ticket | 4624: Account Logon 4634: Account Logoff 4672: Admin Logon |
| Golden Ticket | 4624: Account Logon 4672: Admin Logon |
| PowerShell | 4103: Script Block Logging 400: Engine Lifecycle 403: Engine Lifecycle 4103: Module Logging 600: Provider Lifecycle |
| DCShadow | 4742: A computer account was changed 5137: A directory service object was created 5141: A directory service object was deleted 4929: An Active Directory replica source naming context was removed |
| Skeleton Keys | 4673: A privileged service was called 4611: A trusted logon process has been registered with the Local Security Authority 4688: A new process has been created 4689: A new process has exited |
| PYKEK MS14-068 | 4672: Admin Logon 4624: Account Logon 4768: Kerberos TGS Request |
| Kerberoasting | 4769: A Kerberos ticket was requested |
| S4U2Proxy | 4769: A Kerberos ticket was requested |
| Lateral Movement | 4688: A new process has been created 4689: A process has exited 4624: An account was successfully logged on 4625: An account failed to log on |
| DNSAdmin | 770: DNS Server plugin DLL has been loaded 541: The setting serverlevelplugindll on scope . has been set to <dll path>150: DNS Server could not load or initialize the plug-in DLL |
| DCSync | 4662: An operation was performed on an object |
| Password Spraying | 4625: An account failed to log on 4771: Kerberos pre-authentication failed 4648: A logon was attempted using explicit credentials |
- ASD Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents
- Reducing the Active Directory Attack Surface
- Changes to Ticket-Granting Ticket (TGT) Delegation Across Trusts in Windows Server (AskPFEPlat edition)
- Active Directory: Ultimate Reading Collection
- Security Hardening Tips and Recommendations
- Securing Domain Controllers to Improve Active Directory Security
- Securing Windows Workstations: Developing a Secure Baseline
- Implementing Secure Administrative Hosts
- Privileged Access Management for Active Directory Domain Services
- Awesome Windows Domain Hardening
- Best Practices for Securing Active Directory
- Introducing the Adversary Resilience Methodology — Part One
- Introducing the Adversary Resilience Methodology — Part Two
- Mitigating Pass-the-Hash and Other Credential Theft, version 2
- Configuration guidance for implementing the Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 DoD Secure Host Baseline settings
- Monitoring Active Directory for Signs of Compromise
- Detecting Lateral Movement through Tracking Event Logs
- Kerberos Golden Ticket Protection Mitigating Pass-the-Ticket on Active Directory
- Overview of Microsoft's "Best Practices for Securing Active Directory"
- The Keys to the Kingdom: Limiting Active Directory Administrators
- Protect Privileged AD Accounts With Five Free Controls
- The Most Common Active Directory Security Issues and What You Can Do to Fix Them
- Event Forwarding Guidance
- Planting the Red Forest: Improving AD on the Road to ESAE
- Detecting Kerberoasting Activity
- Security Considerations for Trusts
- Advanced Threat Analytics suspicious activity guide
- Protection from Kerberos Golden Ticket
- Windows 10 Credential Theft Mitigation Guide
- Detecting Pass-The- Ticket and Pass-The- Hash Attack Using Simple WMI Commands
- Step by Step Deploy Microsoft Local Administrator Password Solution
- Active Directory Security Best Practices
- Finally Deploy and Audit LAPS with Project VAST, Part 1 of 2
- Windows Security Log Events
- Talk Transcript BSidesCharm Detecting the Elusive: Active Directory Threat Hunting
- Preventing Mimikatz Attacks
- Understanding "Red Forest" - The 3-Tier ESAE and Alternative Ways to Protect Privileged Credentials
- Securing Microsoft Active Directory Federation Server (ADFS)
- Azure AD and ADFS best practices: Defending against password spray attacks
- AD Reading: Active Directory Backup and Disaster Recovery
- Ten Process Injection Techniques: A Technical Survey Of Common And Trending Process Injection Techniques
- Hunting For In-Memory .NET Attacks
- Mimikatz Overview, Defenses and Detection
- Trimarc Research: Detecting Password Spraying with Security Event Auditing
- Hunting for Gargoyle Memory Scanning Evasion
- Planning and getting started on the Windows Defender Application Control deployment process
- Preventing Lateral Movement Using Network Access Groups
- How to Go from Responding to Hunting with Sysinternals Sysmon
- Windows Event Forwarding Guidance
- Threat Mitigation Strategies: Part 2 – Technical Recommendations and Information
- Modern Hardening: Lessons Learned on Hardening Applications and Services
- ITSP.70.012 Guidance for Hardening Microsoft Windows 10 Enterprise
- Blue Team Tips
- Active Directory Domain Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG)
To the extent possible under law, Rahmat Nurfauzi "@infosecn1nja" has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.