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A “boring” pentest is a sign of a well-defended network. It means:
✅ No easy wins for attackers
✅ No plaintext credentials exposed
✅ No exploitable Active Directory misconfigurations
✅ No straightforward path to Domain Admin
While pentesters enjoy the challenge, a locked-down environment shows that defenders are doing their job. It reflects the efforts of sysadmins and security teams who hardened systems, making life difficult for real attackers.
You Should Know: Hardening Active Directory & Linux Systems
1. Active Directory Hardening Commands
- Check for misconfigured permissions:
Get-ADObject -Filter -Properties nTSecurityDescriptor | Where-Object { $<em>.nTSecurityDescriptor.IsAccessible($</em>.nTSecurityDescriptor.Owner) } - Disable insecure protocols (NTLM, SMBv1):
Set-SmbServerConfiguration -EncryptData $true -Force Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName SMB1Protocol
- Audit Kerberos tickets for anomalies:
klist purge Clear cached tickets
2. Linux Security Hardening
- Check for world-writable files:
find / -perm -2 -type f -exec ls -la {} \; - Disable unnecessary services:
systemctl list-unit-files --state=enabled | grep -E '(vsftpd|telnet|rsh)' systemctl disable vsftpd
- Enable audit logging:
auditctl -a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S execve Log all executed commands
3. Windows Defender & Firewall Rules
- Enable advanced threat protection:
Set-MpPreference -AttackSurfaceReductionRules_Ids <RuleID> -AttackSurfaceReductionRules_Actions Enabled
- Block inbound RDP from untrusted networks:
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block RDP" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 3389 -Action Block
What Undercode Say
A “boring” pentest is a victory for defenders. It means:
– Least Privilege is enforced (whoami /priv shows minimal rights).
– Logging is enabled (auditpol /get /category: in Windows).
– Patch management works (wmic qfe list shows updated patches).
– Network segmentation exists (tracert reveals restricted pathways).
For Linux admins:
- SELinux/AppArmor is active (
sestatus). - SSH is locked down (
grep PermitRootLogin /etc/ssh/sshd_config). - Cron jobs are monitored (
ls -la /etc/cron.).
Expected Output:
A secure, resilient network where attackers struggle—proof that defenders won.
(No cyber/IT URLs found in original post.)
References:
Reported By: Spenceralessi A – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅
