Windows Post Exploitation Discovery

Description

Techniques and tools for post-exploitation discovery using native Windows tools

• Background

• Techniques

• [Tools]

  • System Info with CMD

  • Network/Domain Info with CMD

  • Local User Info with CMD

  • Domain User Info with CMD

  • Enumerating with PowerShell

• Resources

Background

Windows post-exploitation techniques during a red-team engagement often involve discovering and leveraging weaknesses in the target environment, such as misconfigurations, unpatched vulnerabilities, or insecure permissions, to further exploit and compromise the system. These discoveries can include locating stored credentials, identifying vulnerable services or applications, enumerating network resources, or discovering ways to move laterally within the network. By leveraging these post-exploitation findings, attackers can extend their control over the compromised system and potentially expand their reach to other interconnected systems within the target environment.

Techniques

• Identify current user ID and privileges

• Identify network connections (for lateral movement)

• Identify Running processes

• Identify Chron jobs/scheduled tasks

• Identify if Active Directory environment then identify users/groups/computers if in cloud or on-prem

• If not AD, then find applications, firewalls, AV

• Common Windows commandss to run on system:

  • whoami

  • tasklist

  • systeminfo

  • systeminfo && whoami /all

System Info with CMD

Description	Command	Example
System info	systeminfo	systeminfo
OS Name/Version	systeminfo	systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version
System drives	wmic logicaldisk	wmic logicaldisk where drivetype=3 get name, freespace, systemname, filesystem, size, volumeserialnumber
Connected Devices	wmic logicaldisk	wmic logicaldisk get caption,description,providername
System Environment Table	set	set
Running System Processes	tasklist	tasklist /v
Services Running Inside Each Process	tasklist	tasklist /svc
Attributes of All Running Processes	wmic process list	wmic process list full
Started Windows Services	net start	net start
Scheduled Jobs	schtasks	schtasks /query /fo LIST /v
Windows Patches	wmic qfe	wmic qfe get Caption,Description,HotFixID,InstalledOn
Installed Application Names	wmic product	wmic product get name

Network/Domain Info with CMD

Description	Command	Example
IP and Interfaces	ipconfig	ipconfig /all
Copy IP info to clipboard	ipconfig	ipconfig | clip
Routing Table	route	route print
ARP Table	arp	arp -a
Active TCP Connections	netstat	netstat -an
TCP and UDP activity every 1 second	netstat	netstat -naob 1 | find "<IPADRR or PORT>
Get domain	echo	echo %USERDOMAIN%
Domain Logon Server	echo	echo %LOGONSERVER%
Domain Password Policy	net	net accounts /domain
Local Password Policy	net	net accounts
DC Address, Domain Name, Roles	wmic	wmic ntdomain
Trusted Domain	dsquery	dsquery * -filter "(objectclass=TrustedDomain)" -attr trustpartner,flatname,trustdirection
Network Shares	net	net share
View All Hosts in Domain/Workgroup	net	net view
Domain Trust Info	nltest	nltest /trusted_domains

Local User Info with CMD

Description	Command	Example
Username of Current User	whoami or echo %USERNAME%	whoami
All whoami Access Token Info	whoami	whoami /all
Local Users	net	net users
Detailed User Info	net	net user $USERNAME
Users with RDP Priv	qwinsta	qwinsta
Local Groups	net	net localgroup
Local Administrators	net	net localgroup administrators

Resources

• Awesome Windows Post Exploitation: https://github.com/emilyanncr/Windows-Post-Exploitation
• SANS PowerShell Port Scanner: https://www.sans.org/blog/pen-test-poster-white-board-powershell-built-in-port-scanner/
• A simple batch script with these commands: \tools\WinSysEnum.bat
• A simple CMD script that outputs these commands to txt is here: \tools\WinUserEnum.bat