Active Directory (AD) - Basics Understanding
Within Active Directory, there are three built-in groups that comprise the highest privilege groups in the director
Why it matters
- Domain: A logical group of network objects (users, computers, devices) that share a common directory database. - Forest: A collection of one or more domains that share a common schema and configuration. - Tree: A hierarchy of one or more domains that are connected in a contiguous namespace. - Organizational Unit (OU): A container within a domain used to organize users, groups, and computers. OUs can be nested. - Group Policy: A feature that allows administrators to implement specific configurations for users and computers within the domain. - Schema: Defines the objects and attributes that the directory service can contain. - Global Catalog: A distributed data engagement that contains a searchable, partial representation of every object in every domain in a forest. - Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS): The core service that provides the directory and authentication services. - Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS): A lighter version of AD DS, used for directory-enabled applications. - Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS): Provides single sign-on and identity federation for users accessing applications across different organizations. - Primary Domain Controller (PDC): The main domain controller responsible for processing authentication requests and managing changes in a domain. - Backup Domain Controller (BDC): An older term (from NT4 days) for a domain controller that provides backup and redundancy for the PDC. - Replication: The process of copying changes made on one domain controller to others to ensure consistency. - Trust Relationship: A connection between two domains that allows users from one domain to access resources in another. - Active Directory Database: The database file (NTDS.dit) that stores the directory data and objects. - DNS Integration: Active Directory relies on DNS for domain controller location and service discovery. - Authentication Protocols: Protocols like Kerberos and NTLM that handle authentication requests. - Active Directory is the service that organizes and manages network resources. - Domain Controllers are servers that implement AD services, handling user authentication and managing directory data. - Active Directory is the framework for managing network resources. - Domain Controllers are the servers that implement the AD services, facilitating user authentication and data management. Within Active Directory, there are three built-in groups that comprise the highest privilege groups in the director
How we test it
Our operators follow a structured checklist for this topic, adapted to your API surface and authentication model.
Testing approach
- Structured validation of Active Directory (AD) - Basics Understanding during scoped assessment.
- Evidence captured with reproducible steps for your engineering team.
What we look for
- Misconfigurations and control gaps related to Active Directory (AD) - Basics Understanding.
- Exploitable paths that could affect confidentiality, integrity, or availability.
Related topics
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Active Directory (AD) Terminology | We validate this area during scoped assessments, documenting impact and remediation guidance. |
| DLL | A DLL (Dynamic Link Library) is a file format used in Microsoft Windows environments to contain code, data, and resources that can be used by multiple programs simultaneously. DLLs help modularize applications, allowing them to share common functions without duplicating code acr… |
| Extended Active Directory (AD) Terminology | We validate this area during scoped assessments, documenting impact and remediation guidance. |
| I. Active Directory Enumeration | We validate this area during scoped assessments, documenting impact and remediation guidance. |
| II. Local Privilege Escalation | We validate this area during scoped assessments, documenting impact and remediation guidance. |
| III. Domain Privilege Escalation | We validate this area during scoped assessments, documenting impact and remediation guidance. |