Contents

Introduction to Active Directory ..................................................................................................... 2

Active Directory Enumeration ......................................................................................................... 3
Kerberos Authentication ................................................................................................................. 4
Active Directory Attack Vectors....................................................................................................... 5
Active Directory Post Enumeration ................................................................................................. 6
Active Directory Post Attacks .......................................................................................................... 7
AD Defense- Detection .................................................................................................................... 8
Introduction to Active Directory
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft that is used to centrally
manage and organize resources in a networked environment. It provides a hierarchical structure
for managing users, computers, groups, and other network resources. Here is an introduction to
Active Directory:
Centralized Identity Management: Active Directory serves as a centralized identity management
system, allowing administrators to create and manage user accounts, assign permissions, and
control access to resources. It provides a single sign-on experience, where users can log in once
to access multiple resources within the network.
Domain-based Structure: Active Directory is organized into a hierarchical structure called a
domain. A domain represents a logical grouping of network resources, such as users, computers,
and printers. Domains can be further organized into a forest, which is a collection of one or more
domains that share a common schema and trust relationship.
User and Group Management: Active Directory allows administrators to create and manage user
accounts, including defining user attributes, setting password policies, and managing user group
memberships. Groups can be created to simplify access management, allowing permissions to be
assigned to groups instead of individual users.
Security and Authentication: Active Directory provides robust security features, including
authentication and authorization mechanisms. It supports various authentication protocols such
as Kerberos and NTLM, ensuring secure access to network resources. Administrators can define
security policies, implement access controls, and enforce password policies to enhance the
overall security of the network.
Directory Services: Active Directory functions as a directory service, storing and organizing
information about network resources. It provides a searchable database that allows users and
administrators to quickly locate and access resources within the network. Resources such as
users, groups, computers, and printers are represented as objects in the directory.
Integration with Other Services: Active Directory integrates with various other services and
technologies, including DNS (Domain Name System), DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol), and Group Policy. This integration allows for seamless management of network services
and ensures consistent configuration and policy enforcement across the network.
Active Directory is widely used in enterprise environments to streamline user management,
enhance security, and simplify resource access and administration. It provides a powerful
framework for organizing and managing network resources, offering scalability and flexibility to
meet the needs of small to large organizations.
Active Directory Enumeration
Active Directory enumeration refers to the process of extracting information about user accounts,
groups, and other objects within an Active Directory domain. It is often performed during a
security assessment or penetration testing to gather valuable information about the target
network. Here are some key aspects of Active Directory enumeration:
User Enumeration: This involves identifying and extracting information about user accounts
within the Active Directory domain. This includes usernames, display names, email addresses,
user privileges, and other attributes associated with each user account. User enumeration can
help in identifying potential security vulnerabilities, such as weak or easily guessable usernames
and passwords.
Group Enumeration: Active Directory groups are used to organize and manage user accounts
with similar roles or access requirements. Group enumeration involves identifying the groups
present in the domain, their members, and their associated permissions or privileges. Group
enumeration can help in understanding the access control structure and potential avenues for
privilege escalation.
Computer Enumeration: This involves gathering information about computer objects within
the Active Directory domain. It includes details such as computer names, IP addresses, operating
systems, last login times, and other attributes associated with each computer object. Computer
enumeration can help in identifying vulnerable or misconfigured systems that may serve as
potential entry points or targets for further exploitation.
Service Enumeration: Active Directory often integrates with various network services, such as
DNS, DHCP, and LDAP. Service enumeration involves identifying and extracting information about
these services, their configurations, and associated network resources. This can help in
understanding the network infrastructure, identifying potential points of failure or
misconfiguration, and gathering information for further exploitation.
Trust Relationship Enumeration: Active Directory allows for establishing trust relationships
with other domains or forests. Trust relationship enumeration involves identifying the existing
trust relationships, their types (such as parent-child trust, shortcut trust, or external trust), and
associated permissions or access rights. This information can be useful in understanding the
network's connectivity and potential attack vectors across trust boundaries.
Active Directory enumeration techniques can vary depending on the tools and methods used.
Commonly used tools for Active Directory enumeration include Microsoft's built-in command-line
tools like PowerShell, as well as third-party tools such as BloodHound, enum4linux, and LDAP
enumerators. It's important to note that Active Directory enumeration should be performed
responsibly and with proper authorization, following ethical guidelines and legal requirements.
Kerberos Authentication
Kerberos is a network authentication protocol that provides secure authentication for client-
server applications in a distributed computing environment. It allows users and services to
securely authenticate their identities over a network without transmitting passwords or other
sensitive information.
The Kerberos authentication process involves the following steps:
Request for a Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT): The client initiates the authentication process
by requesting a TGT from the Key Distribution Center (KDC), which is the central authentication
server in a Kerberos environment.
Authentication with the KDC: The client sends its authentication request to the KDC, which
verifies the client's identity and issues a TGT if the authentication is successful. The KDC also
generates a session key that will be used for secure communication between the client and the
server.
Request for a Service Ticket: When the client wants to access a specific network service, it
requests a service ticket from the KDC. The request includes the TGT and the identification of the
desired service.
Ticket Validation: The KDC validates the TGT and issues a service ticket for the requested
service if the client is authorized to access it. The service ticket is encrypted using the session key.
Service Ticket Presentation: The client presents the service ticket to the service provider
(server) to request access to the service.
Ticket Verification: The server decrypts the service ticket using its own secret key shared with
the KDC. If the ticket is valid and the client's identity is verified, the server grants access to the
requested service.
Kerberos authentication provides several benefits, including strong authentication, mutual
authentication (both the client and server authenticate each other), and secure communication
through the use of session keys. It helps prevent various attacks such as eavesdropping, replay
attacks, and impersonation.
Kerberos is widely used in enterprise environments, particularly in Windows Active Directory
domains. It is the default authentication protocol for Windows-based systems and allows for
single sign-on (SSO) capabilities, where users can authenticate once and access multiple network
resources without re-entering their credentials.
Implementing Kerberos requires the deployment of a Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) and
configuring clients and servers to use Kerberos for authentication. There are also various tools
and libraries available to facilitate Kerberos integration into applications and systems.
Active Directory Attack Vectors
Active Directory (AD) is a critical component of many enterprise environments and serves as a
central repository for user accounts, permissions, and authentication. However, it is also a target
for attackers who aim to compromise its security and gain unauthorized access to sensitive
resources. Here are some common attack vectors targeting Active Directory:
▪ Password Attacks: Attackers may use techniques such as password guessing, brute-forcing,
or password spraying to gain access to user accounts with weak or compromised
passwords.
▪ Phishing and Social Engineering: Attackers may employ phishing emails or social
engineering tactics to trick users into revealing their credentials or providing sensitive
information, which can then be used to compromise AD.
▪ Kerberos Attacks: Kerberos, the authentication protocol used in Active Directory, is
susceptible to attacks such as Golden Ticket attacks, Silver Ticket attacks, and Pass-the-
Hash attacks, where attackers manipulate Kerberos tickets or exploit weak authentication
mechanisms.
▪ Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Attackers target vulnerabilities in the underlying operating
system, AD server software, or other components of the AD infrastructure to gain
unauthorized access or escalate privileges.
▪ Domain Controller Compromise: Attackers may attempt to compromise domain
controllers, which are critical servers in an AD environment, to gain control over the entire
AD infrastructure.
▪ Privilege Escalation: Once inside the AD environment, attackers may exploit misconfigured
permissions, weak security settings, or other vulnerabilities to escalate their privileges and
gain access to sensitive information or systems.
▪ Lateral Movement: Attackers move laterally within the AD network, hopping from one
compromised system to another, to expand their control and access more valuable assets.
▪ Domain Trust Exploitation: In multi-domain or multi-forest AD environments, attackers
may exploit trust relationships between domains or forests to move laterally or gain
unauthorized access.
▪ Malware and Malicious Tools: Attackers may deploy malware or use malicious tools
specifically designed to target Active Directory, such as password dumping tools,
reconnaissance tools, or tools for privilege escalation.
▪ Insider Threats: Insiders with legitimate access to Active Directory can pose a significant
risk. Malicious insiders may abuse their privileges to perform unauthorized activities, steal
sensitive information, or compromise the AD infrastructure.
To protect against these attack vectors, organizations should implement strong security measures
such as enforcing complex passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication, regularly patching
systems, monitoring for suspicious activities, conducting regular security assessments, and
educating users about security best practices. Additionally, employing security solutions like
intrusion detection systems (IDS), endpoint protection, and privileged access management can
help enhance Active Directory security.

Active Directory Post Enumeration

After performing enumeration on an Active Directory (AD) environment, the next step for an
attacker is to utilize the gathered information to plan and execute post-enumeration activities.
These activities aim to further exploit the vulnerabilities or weaknesses identified during the
enumeration phase. Here are some common post-enumeration actions:
▪ Privilege Escalation: Once a foothold has been established, the attacker seeks to elevate
their privileges within the AD environment. This can involve exploiting misconfigurations,
weak security settings, or vulnerabilities to gain administrative or higher-level access.
▪ Exploiting Misconfigured Permissions: The attacker looks for access control
misconfigurations, such as excessive permissions granted to user accounts or groups, that
can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to sensitive resources.
▪ Persistence: To maintain long-term access, the attacker may create backdoors, establish
rogue user accounts, or modify group memberships to ensure they can regain access even
if their initial entry point is discovered and closed.
▪ Credential Theft: If the attacker obtains access to user credentials during enumeration,
they may attempt to exploit those credentials to gain unauthorized access to other
systems or resources within the AD environment.
▪ Privilege Escalation via Service Accounts: The attacker focuses on identifying service
accounts with elevated privileges and weak configurations, exploiting them to gain further
access or control over critical systems.
▪ Lateral Movement: The attacker uses the compromised credentials or access to move
laterally within the AD environment, exploring other systems and resources to expand
their control and access more valuable assets.
▪ Data Exfiltration: Once inside the AD environment, the attacker may attempt to exfiltrate
sensitive data by accessing and copying files, databases, or other valuable information.
▪ Exploiting Trust Relationships: If the AD environment has trust relationships with other
domains or forests, the attacker may attempt to exploit these trust relationships to expand
their reach and gain access to additional resources.
▪ Active Directory Deception: The attacker may create deceptive objects or modify existing
ones within AD, such as fake user accounts or group memberships, to confuse or mislead
administrators and potentially gain additional privileges.
▪ Covering Tracks: To avoid detection, the attacker attempts to cover their tracks by
modifying logs, removing evidence of their activities, or tampering with security
monitoring systems.
It's important to note that the activities described above are malicious and illegal. The purpose
of understanding post-enumeration actions is to enable organizations to implement proper
security measures and defenses to mitigate the risks associated with such activities. Organizations
should focus on maintaining a robust security posture, including strong access controls, regular
vulnerability scanning and patching, monitoring for suspicious activities, and implementing
security solutions that detect and prevent unauthorized access and data exfiltration.

Active Directory Post Attacks

Some post-attack activities that are commonly performed in an ethical hacking scenario for Active
Directory include:
▪ Privilege Escalation: Attempting to elevate user privileges to gain higher levels of access
within the Active Directory environment.
▪ Lateral Movement: Expanding access by moving laterally across the network, leveraging
compromised systems to gain access to other resources.
▪ Persistence: Establishing persistent access to maintain control over the compromised
systems or accounts within the Active Directory.
▪ Password Cracking: Attempting to crack passwords or perform password attacks to gain
unauthorized access to user accounts.
▪ Exploiting Misconfigurations: Identifying and exploiting misconfigurations or
vulnerabilities in Active Directory components, such as domain controllers or trust
relationships.
▪ Data Exfiltration: Attempting to exfiltrate sensitive or valuable data from the Active
Directory environment.
It's important to note that these activities should only be performed with proper authorization
and within the scope defined by the organization or client. Ethical hacking requires adherence to
legal and ethical guidelines, and any actions should be documented and reported to the
appropriate stakeholders.
If you are interested in learning more about ethical hacking or conducting penetration testing on
Active Directory, I recommend pursuing relevant certifications or training courses and consulting
resources provided by reputable organizations in the field of cybersecurity.
AD Defense- Detection
Active Directory (AD) Defense involves implementing various measures to detect and respond to
potential threats and security breaches within an Active Directory environment. Here are some
key aspects of AD Defense with a focus on detection:
▪ Monitoring and Logging: Enable comprehensive logging and monitoring of AD activities,
including user authentication events, privilege changes, group modifications, and critical
system events. Implement centralized log management solutions to collect and analyze
logs for potential security incidents.
▪ Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): Integrate AD logs with a SIEM
solution to correlate events from multiple sources, detect anomalies, and generate alerts
for suspicious activities or potential security breaches.
▪ Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS): Deploy IDS/IPS
solutions that specifically monitor AD-related network traffic, looking for signs of
malicious activities, such as brute-force attacks, password spraying, or unusual LDAP
queries.
▪ User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA): Implement UEBA solutions that analyze user
and entity behavior within the Active Directory environment. These solutions can detect
anomalies, such as unusual login patterns, abnormal access requests, or suspicious
privilege escalations.
▪ Endpoint Protection: Utilize endpoint protection solutions with AD integration capabilities
to monitor and detect malicious activities on endpoints accessing the AD infrastructure.
This can include detecting unauthorized tools or processes, detecting attempts to bypass
authentication mechanisms, or identifying suspicious behavior.
▪ Vulnerability Scanning: Regularly perform vulnerability scans on AD systems and
infrastructure components to identify potential weaknesses that can be exploited by
attackers. This includes scanning for misconfigurations, outdated software versions, or
known vulnerabilities.
▪ Security Information Sharing: Participate in security information sharing platforms or
organizations to stay updated on the latest threats, attack techniques, and
countermeasures related to Active Directory security.
Remember that detection alone is not sufficient. It should be complemented with appropriate
incident response procedures, threat hunting, and continuous improvement of security controls
to effectively mitigate risks and protect the Active Directory environment.