About Me
CompTIA PenTest+
1 Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities
1-1 Common Threat Actors
1-2 Threat Intelligence Sources
1-3 Threat Actors and Motives
1-4 Threat Actor Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)
1-5 Vulnerability Types
1-6 Exploit Types
1-7 Attack Types
1-8 Threat Detection and Monitoring
1-9 Threat Hunting
1-10 Incident Response
2 Architecture and Design
2-1 Security Controls
2-2 Network Architecture
2-3 Cloud and Virtualization
2-4 Web Application Security
2-5 Wireless Security
2-6 Mobile Security
2-7 IoT Security
2-8 Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security
2-9 Physical Security
2-10 Secure Software Development
3 Tools and Code
3-1 Penetration Testing Tools
3-2 Exploitation Tools
3-3 Post-Exploitation Tools
3-4 Reporting Tools
3-5 Scripting and Automation
3-6 Programming Languages
3-7 Code Analysis
3-8 Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) Tools
4 Planning and Scoping
4-1 Penetration Testing Methodologies
4-2 Legal and Compliance Considerations
4-3 Scope Definition
4-4 Risk Assessment
4-5 Threat Modeling
4-6 Information Gathering
4-7 Asset Identification
4-8 Data Classification
4-9 Business Impact Analysis
4-10 Penetration Testing Objectives
5 Information Gathering and Vulnerability Identification
5-1 Passive Reconnaissance
5-2 Active Reconnaissance
5-3 Vulnerability Scanning
5-4 Network Mapping
5-5 Service Identification
5-6 Web Application Scanning
5-7 Wireless Network Scanning
5-8 Social Engineering Techniques
5-9 OSINT Techniques
5-10 Vulnerability Databases
6 Attacks and Exploits
6-1 Exploit Development
6-2 Buffer Overflows
6-3 SQL Injection
6-4 Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
6-5 Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
6-6 Command Injection
6-7 Privilege Escalation
6-8 Lateral Movement
6-9 Evasion Techniques
6-10 Exploit Delivery Methods
7 Penetration Testing Process
7-1 Pre-Engagement Activities
7-2 Reconnaissance
7-3 Scanning and Enumeration
7-4 Exploitation
7-5 Post-Exploitation
7-6 Reporting
7-7 Remediation
7-8 Retesting
7-9 Documentation and Evidence Collection
7-10 Communication and Coordination
8 Reporting and Communication
8-1 Report Structure
8-2 Executive Summary
8-3 Technical Findings
8-4 Risk Assessment
8-5 Remediation Recommendations
8-6 Legal and Compliance Considerations
8-7 Presentation Skills
8-8 Communication with Stakeholders
8-9 Documentation Standards
8-10 Continuous Improvement
9 Security and Compliance
9-1 Regulatory Requirements
9-2 Industry Standards
9-3 Compliance Audits
9-4 Data Protection
9-5 Privacy Laws
9-6 Incident Response Planning
9-7 Disaster Recovery Planning
9-8 Business Continuity Planning
9-9 Risk Management
9-10 Security Awareness Training
6.8 Lateral Movement Explained

6.8 Lateral Movement Explained

Key Concepts

1. Lateral Movement

Lateral Movement refers to the techniques attackers use to move through a network after gaining initial access. The goal is to locate and access valuable assets, such as sensitive data or critical systems, by exploiting vulnerabilities and leveraging compromised credentials.

2. Pass-the-Hash

Pass-the-Hash is a technique where an attacker captures the hash of a user's password and uses it to authenticate to other systems within the network. This method bypasses the need to crack the password, allowing the attacker to move laterally without knowing the actual password.

3. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a network protocol that allows a user to connect to another computer over a network connection. Attackers can use compromised credentials to establish RDP sessions, enabling them to control remote systems and move laterally within the network.

4. PsExec

PsExec is a lightweight telnet-replacement that lets you execute processes on other systems. Attackers can use PsExec to run commands on remote systems, facilitating lateral movement by executing malicious code or gathering information from remote machines.

5. PowerShell Remoting

PowerShell Remoting allows administrators to run commands on remote computers. Attackers can exploit this feature to execute scripts or commands on remote systems, enabling them to move laterally and perform various malicious activities.

6. Credential Dumping

Credential Dumping involves extracting credentials from a compromised system. Attackers can use tools like Mimikatz to extract clear-text passwords, hashes, and Kerberos tickets from memory, which can then be used to authenticate to other systems and move laterally.

Explanation of Concepts

Lateral Movement

Lateral Movement is a critical phase in an attacker's strategy to gain control over a network. After gaining initial access, attackers use various techniques to move from one system to another, searching for valuable assets. This process often involves exploiting vulnerabilities, leveraging compromised credentials, and using network protocols to establish connections to remote systems.

Pass-the-Hash

Pass-the-Hash allows attackers to authenticate to other systems using the hash of a user's password instead of the actual password. For example, an attacker might capture the NTLM hash of a user's password and use it to authenticate to other systems within the network, bypassing the need to crack the password.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) enables users to connect to and control remote computers. Attackers can use compromised credentials to establish RDP sessions, allowing them to interact with remote systems as if they were physically present. This capability facilitates lateral movement by providing direct control over remote machines.

PsExec

PsExec is a tool that allows administrators to execute processes on remote systems. Attackers can use PsExec to run commands or execute malicious code on remote machines, enabling them to gather information, escalate privileges, and move laterally within the network.

PowerShell Remoting

PowerShell Remoting allows administrators to run commands on remote computers using PowerShell. Attackers can exploit this feature to execute scripts or commands on remote systems, facilitating lateral movement by performing various malicious activities, such as data exfiltration or privilege escalation.

Credential Dumping

Credential Dumping involves extracting credentials from a compromised system. Tools like Mimikatz can be used to extract clear-text passwords, hashes, and Kerberos tickets from memory. These credentials can then be used to authenticate to other systems, enabling attackers to move laterally and gain control over additional machines within the network.

Examples and Analogies

Lateral Movement

Consider lateral movement as exploring a maze. After finding the entrance, an attacker navigates through the maze, looking for the treasure (valuable assets). Each turn represents a new system, and the attacker uses various techniques to move from one turn to the next.

Pass-the-Hash

Think of Pass-the-Hash as using a keycard to unlock doors. Instead of cracking the keycard's code, an attacker captures the keycard's magnetic strip (hash) and uses it to unlock other doors within the building.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Imagine RDP as a remote control for a computer. An attacker uses a remote control (RDP) to control a remote computer, enabling them to perform actions as if they were physically present at the computer.

PsExec

Consider PsExec as a remote command center. An attacker uses the command center (PsExec) to send commands to remote systems, allowing them to control and gather information from those systems.

PowerShell Remoting

Think of PowerShell Remoting as a remote script execution tool. An attacker uses this tool to run scripts on remote computers, enabling them to perform various tasks, such as data exfiltration or privilege escalation.

Credential Dumping

Imagine credential dumping as picking locks. An attacker uses tools (like Mimikatz) to extract keys (credentials) from a locked box (compromised system), which can then be used to unlock other boxes within the network.

© 2024 Ahmed Baheeg Khorshid. All rights reserved.