por The Golden Ticket attack is related to Windows. It was named after the computer security company Microsoft, as it exploits a vulnerability in the Windows domain authentication system, known as Kerberos.
The Golden Ticket attack allows an attacker to compromise the Windows domain authentication infrastructure and generate an authentication ticket (ticket), which grants him full and persistent access to a Windows domain. This means that the attacker could have full control over the systems and resources in that domain without needing to know the actual passwords of the user accounts.
Let’s see how the Golden Ticket attack works and how to prevent it.
What is the Golden Ticket attack?
To carry out the Golden Ticket attack, the attacker needs to gain initial access to a Windows domain controller within the target infrastructure. From there, it can extract sensitive information related to the Kerberos system, such as cryptographic keys used for domain authentication.
Using this information, the attacker can generate a fake Golden Ticket, which contains a valid cryptographic signature, tricking Windows systems into recognizing it as an authentic and trusted ticket. This Golden Ticket can have a very long lifetime (e.g. 10 years), giving the attacker long-term access to the domain without being detected.
Steps in the Golden Ticket attack process
Due to the complexity of the Golden Ticket attack, those executing it are required to have advanced knowledge of Windows and Kerberos. Let’s see the step by step of how an attack of this type is built:
Getting initial access. In the Golden Ticket cyberattack, the attacker needs to gain initial access to a Windows domain controller within the target environment.
Extraction of cryptographic keys. Once the attacker has access to the domain controller, his goal is to extract the cryptographic keys used by the Kerberos system to authenticate the tickets. These keys, known as service encryption keys (KRBTGT), are essential for generating valid authentication tickets.
Generation of the Golden Ticket. With the KRBTGT keys in their possession, the attacker can generate a fake Golden Ticket. The Golden Ticket is an authentication ticket with a valid cryptographic signature, which allows the attacker to impersonate any user within the domain, even one with elevated privileges, such as an administrator.
Persistence and full access. The Golden Ticket generated by the attacker has a long lifespan; can be set to a high value, such as 10 years. This gives the attacker persistent access to the domain for an extended period of time without being detected. The attacker can access systems, resources, and data within the domain, thereby performing malicious actions or further escalating their privileges.
How does the Golden Ticket attack work?
The Golden Ticket attack is based on an exploitation of the Windows domain authentication infrastructure, specifically the Kerberos system. To understand how this attack works, it is necessary to understand the normal Kerberos authentication flow:
Authentication request. A user sends an authentication request to a Windows domain controller. This request contains the user ID and is called TGT (Ticket-Granting Ticket).
Generation of the TGT. The domain controller verifies the user’s identity and generates a cryptographically signed TGT. This TGT is an authentication ticket that the user can use to request additional service tickets without needing to provide their credentials in each request.
Request for service tickets. Once the user has the TGT, they can request service tickets to access specific resources, such as file servers, databases, printers, etc.
Generation of service tickets. The domain controller generates signed service tickets for the requested resources. These allow the user to access resources without needing to provide their credentials again.
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