ADCS
ADCSActive Directory Certificate ServicesPKI
Active Directory Certificate Services (ADCS) is Microsoft's PKI implementation. Misconfigurations like ESC1-ESC13 allow attackers to forge certificates and authenticate as any user.
Ports
| Port | Protocol | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | tcp | HTTP |
| 443 | tcp | HTTPS |
Fingerprints
| Banner / Probe | Expected Response |
|---|---|
nmap -sV -p <port> <target> | Service banner and version info |
nc -nv <target> <port> | Raw banner grab |
Key Files
| Path | Description |
|---|---|
C:\Windows\NTDS\ntds.dit | AD database with all password hashes |
C:\Windows\System32\config\SAM | Local SAM password hashes |
C:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM | System hive (boot key for hash decryption) |
C:\Windows\System32\config\SECURITY | Security policy and cached domain credentials |
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\ | Saved Windows credentials |
Default Credentials
| Username | Password | Context |
|---|---|---|
admin | admin | Generic admin account |
root | root | Generic root account |
Known CVEs
| Identifier | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
CVE-2022-26923 | PE | Active Directory Certificate Services privilege escalation |
ESC1-ESC13 | PE | Various ADCS misconfiguration attacks |
Exploitation Primitives
| Technique | Tool / Command | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Recon | nmap -sV -sC -p- <target> | Full port/service scan |
| Enumeration | nmap --script <service>-* -p <port> <target> | Service-specific NSE scripts |
Notes
Always start with full port scan: `nmap -sV -sC -p- <target>`.
Check for default credentials before brute-forcing.
Use service-specific NSE scripts: `nmap --script <service>-* -p <port> <target>`.
Remember to check both IPv4 and IPv6 if applicable.
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References