The steps below form the basis for an AD penetration test. It is important to act ethically and always obtain permission before conducting a pentest. This ensures you stay within legal and moral boundaries and avoid potential legal issues.
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- Preparation and Reconnaissance 🔍
- Gather information about the target, such as domain names, IP addresses, and network structure.
- Use tools like Nmap to identify network services and open ports.
- Initial Access 🚪
- Gain access to the network through weak passwords, phishing attacks, or vulnerable services.
- Tools like CrackMapExec can help identify weak passwords.
- Enumeration 📋
- Collect detailed information about the AD environment, such as users, groups, computers, and policies.
- Use tools like BloodHound and PowerView for this purpose.
- Lateral Movement 🔄
- Move laterally through the network to access more sensitive systems and data.
- Techniques like Pass-the-Hash and Pass-the-Ticket can be used to reuse authentication credentials.
- Privilege Escalation ⬆️
- Elevate your privileges to gain access to administrator accounts and sensitive data.
- Look for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities that allow privilege escalation.
- Persistence 🔒
- Implement methods to maintain long-term access to the network, even after reboots or reconfigurations.
- Techniques include creating backdoor accounts or modifying Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
- Exfiltration 📤
- Exfiltrate sensitive data from the network without being detected.
- Use encrypted channels and avoid detection by security systems.
- Reporting 📝
- Document all findings, vulnerabilities, and recommendations in a detailed report.
- Ensure the report is understandable for both technical and non-technical readers.