👉 Overview

👀 What ?

Windows AD CS Domain Persistence is all about leveraging Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) for maintaining persistent access to a Windows domain. AD CS provides a platform for issuing and managing public key infrastructure (PKI) certificates, which can be abused by attackers to gain persistent access.

🧐 Why ?

Understanding Windows AD CS Domain Persistence is crucial for cybersecurity professionals because this mechanism can be exploited by attackers to maintain long-term access to a compromised network. Even if the original entry point is closed, this form of persistence allows the attacker to regain access. This is important for network administrators and security professionals to understand, particularly those working in environments using Windows AD CS.

⛏️ How ?

To use Windows AD CS Domain Persistence, an attacker would first need to gain sufficient privileges within the network. They could then abuse the AD CS to issue a certificate for themselves, providing them with legitimate credentials to access the network. By issuing a long-term certificate, they can ensure ongoing access even if their initial entry point is discovered and closed.

⏳ When ?

The use of Windows AD CS for domain persistence is particularly common in advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks, where the attacker aims to maintain long-term access to the network. This technique has been seen in use since the early 2010s.

⚙️ Technical Explanations

In a typical scenario, an attacker who has gained sufficient privileges (such as domain administrator) can request a certificate from the AD CS with whatever user rights they choose. They can then use this certificate to authenticate themselves on the network as a legitimate user. The attacker can also set the certificate to be valid for a long period, ensuring they maintain access. This technique is particularly effective because certificates are often overlooked in the process of investigating a breach.