Active Directory Pentesting

While most of the attacks we've discussed so far are focused on external penetration testing, what happens once an attacker compromises and gains access to an internal network? This is where internal penetration testing comes in, specifically targeting Active Directory (AD).

Unlike traditional vulnerabilities tied to outdated versions or patches, Active Directory presents security risks through its features, trusts, and components. Many of these vulnerabilities exist in the very design and configuration of AD itself, rather than in specific software flaws.

In this section, we'll primarily focus on domains, as most internal pentesting efforts concentrate on testing a single domain within an organization. Although advanced pentesters may try to escalate privileges, move across domains, or jump between forests, the majority of internal pentesting success comes from a deep understanding of domain-level security. By mastering this, you'll be well-equipped to handle 95% of AD pentesting scenarios.