Episode 24: Active Directory Security Quick Wins For Defenders
Jan 18, 2023
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The discussion covers easy and effective strategies to strengthen Active Directory security. Topics include managing weak passwords and the importance of unique local admin passwords. The challenges faced by small IT teams and common misconfigurations are highlighted. Free tools like Pink Castle and Bloodhound are introduced as valuable resources for identifying vulnerabilities. Emphasis is placed on change control processes and consistent auditing to mitigate security risks in organizational environments.
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Quick takeaways
Implementing strict password policies, such as requiring longer and more complex passwords, significantly reduces vulnerabilities in Active Directory environments.
Regularly auditing group permissions and adhering to the principle of least privilege can mitigate security risks associated with nested group memberships.
Deep dives
Understanding Active Directory Challenges
Active Directory (AD) presents significant security challenges for IT teams due to its complexity and the multiple interfaces it offers. Many IT professionals occupy diverse roles and rarely become experts in any specific area, which can lead to oversights or mistakes in configuration. For instance, administrative actions such as adding domain users to domain admin groups often occur without proper warnings or implications, making it difficult to notice and rectify these errors. This inherent complexity can lead to misconfigurations, which, if left unchecked, may culminate in security incidents or data breaches.
The Impact of Weak Passwords
Weak passwords are a pervasive issue across organizations, contributing to significant security vulnerabilities. For example, penetration tests revealed that weak passwords on accounts allowed attackers to escalate from initial access to domains in mere minutes by methods like Kerberos ticket attacks. Such incidents underscore the importance of implementing robust password policies that require longer, more complex passwords, especially for administrators and service accounts. Organizations should aim for a minimum of 12 to 15 characters for user passwords, with even stricter measures for administrative accounts to mitigate risks effectively.
Risks of Plain Text Credentials
The presence of plain text credentials in scripts and file shares poses another critical threat to AD security. During internal penetration tests, it was common to discover sensitive credentials exposed in scripts or binaries, compromising overall network integrity. Participants noted instances where credentials for access to administrative accounts were left unwatched, exposing the organization to credential theft and unauthorized access. It is essential for organizations to audit their systems regularly to identify and secure such vulnerabilities, implementing policies that prevent hard-coded credentials in scripts.
Managing Group Permissions and Change Control
Mismanagement of group permissions, particularly with nested group memberships, can inadvertently grant excessive access rights to accounts. It was highlighted how administrative accounts could gain unintended privileges through nesting, leading to a situation where a limited admin account is erroneously placed within a domain admin group. To counter this, organizations should regularly audit group memberships and adhere to the principle of least privilege, ensuring groups are well-documented and limited to necessary access. Establishing a change control process for any modifications to these groups is also vital to maintaining security posture, as it encourages careful review and documentation of all changes.
In this episode Spencer and Darrius discuss some seriously free and relatively "easy" quick wins for hardening your Active Directory and internal environment. We go from talking about weak passwords to discussing nested group membership and a whole lot more. This episode is jam packed with advice, that's free and easy to implement. We hope you enjoy and get value from it!