Security Techniques
Advanced offensive security techniques including Active Directory attacks, container exploitation, defense evasion, and Windows privilege escalation for red team operations.
Overview
This section covers advanced offensive security techniques used during penetration testing and red team engagements. These techniques span from initial access through privilege escalation, lateral movement, and persistence across various environments.
Understanding these attack methodologies is essential for both offensive operators seeking to simulate real-world threats and defenders building detection and prevention capabilities.
Attack Domains
Active Directory
Enterprise Windows environments built on Active Directory present rich attack surfaces:
- Active Directory Attacks - Kerberoasting, AS-REP Roasting, NTLM relay, ACL abuse, and ticket attacks
Active Directory remains the backbone of most enterprise networks, making it a high-value target. Compromising AD often leads to complete domain control and access to all organizational resources.
Container Security
Modern containerized deployments introduce new attack vectors:
- Container Security - Docker escape, Kubernetes attacks, and runtime vulnerabilities
As organizations adopt cloud-native architectures, understanding container security boundaries and escape techniques becomes critical for comprehensive security assessments.
Defense Evasion
Modern security tools require sophisticated evasion techniques:
- Defense Evasion - EDR bypass, antivirus evasion, and operational security
Red team operations must account for endpoint detection, SIEM monitoring, and network security tools. These techniques help operators maintain stealth while achieving objectives.
Windows Techniques
Windows systems offer multiple privilege escalation paths:
- Windows Security - Privileged group abuse, DLL injection, and security group exploitation
Windows environments contain numerous misconfigurations and design weaknesses that enable local privilege escalation and persistence.
Attack Methodology
Phase 1: Initial Access
Gain foothold through phishing, exploitation, or credential attacks:
- Password spraying against exposed services
- Exploitation of public-facing applications
- Social engineering and phishing campaigns
Phase 2: Execution & Discovery
Establish presence and enumerate the environment:
- Deploy command and control infrastructure
- Enumerate Active Directory structure
- Identify high-value targets and attack paths
Phase 3: Privilege Escalation
Escalate privileges to gain administrative access:
- Local privilege escalation on compromised hosts
- Domain privilege escalation through AD attacks
- Abuse of misconfigured permissions and groups
Phase 4: Lateral Movement
Move through the network toward objectives:
- Pass-the-Hash/Ticket attacks
- Remote execution with Impacket
- RDP/WinRM with compromised credentials
Phase 5: Persistence & Exfiltration
Maintain access and achieve objectives:
- Golden/Silver ticket creation
- Scheduled tasks and services
- Data exfiltration and staging
Tools Reference
| Tool | Primary Use |
|---|---|
| BloodHound | Attack path mapping and visualization |
| PowerView | AD enumeration and exploitation |
| Impacket | Protocol-level attacks and remote execution |
| Sliver | Command and control framework |
| Hashcat | Password and hash cracking |
Related Resources
- Network Attacks - Protocol-level exploitation
- Windows Vulnerabilities - Windows-specific CVEs and exploits
- Linux Vulnerabilities - Linux privilege escalation
- Cloud Security - AWS and Azure attack techniques
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