2025-02-13
After enumerating the system, I discovered that the current user had the SeBackupPrivilege, which allowed me to create a disk shadow copy of the C: drive. Using diskshadow, I created a persistent shadow copy and exposed it as a new drive:
diskshadow /s wremad.txt
wremad.txt Content:
SET CONTEXT PERSISTENT NOWRITERS add volume c: alias ralfcopy create expose %ralfcopy% z:
Extracting Sensitive Files
With the shadow copy created, I used the Robocopy tool to extract the `ntds.dit` and `SYSTEM` hive from the shadow copy. These files are critical for extracting Active Directory credentials. Using Impacket’s secretsdump, I extracted the hashes from the `ntds.dit` file and cracked them to gain Administrator access.
secretsdump -ntds ntds.dit -system SYSTEM LOCAL
Cracking Hashes with Hashcat
Once the hashes were extracted, I used Hashcat to crack them:
hashcat -m 1000 hashes.txt rockyou.txt
SeBackupPrivilege Exploitation
SeBackupPrivilege is a powerful privilege that can be abused to create shadow copies and extract sensitive files. For a more detailed walkthrough, check out this video.
What Undercode Say
Privilege escalation is a critical skill in cybersecurity, especially when dealing with Windows environments. The SeBackupPrivilege exploit demonstrated here highlights the importance of understanding Windows internals and how to leverage them for privilege escalation. Tools like diskshadow, Robocopy, and `Impacket` are essential for penetration testers and red teamers.
To further enhance your skills, practice the following commands and techniques:
1. Enumerate Privileges
Use `whoami /priv` to check for SeBackupPrivilege or other exploitable privileges.
2. Create Shadow Copies
Master the `diskshadow` command to create and manage shadow copies.
3. Extract AD Credentials
Use Impacket’s `secretsdump` to extract hashes from `ntds.dit` and `SYSTEM` hive files.
4. Crack Hashes
Practice using `Hashcat` with different hash types and wordlists like rockyou.txt.
5. Automate with Scripts
Write scripts to automate privilege escalation steps, such as creating shadow copies and extracting files.
For additional resources, explore the following links:
By mastering these techniques, you can significantly improve your ability to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in Windows environments. Always remember to practice ethical hacking and obtain proper authorization before performing any penetration testing.
References:
Hackers Feeds, Undercode AI
