t1078-002-domain-accounts

name	T1078.002_domain-accounts
description	Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a domain account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion.
category	configuration
version	18.1
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["mitre-attack","enterprise","t1078.002","defense-evasion","persistence","privilege-escalation","initial-access","esxi","linux","macos","windows","sub-technique"]
technique_id	T1078.002
tactic	defense-evasion
all_tactics	["defense-evasion","persistence","privilege-escalation","initial-access"]
platforms	["ESXi","Linux","macOS","Windows"]
mitre_url	https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1078/002
tech_stack	["esxi","linux","macos","windows"]
cwe_ids	["CWE-693"]
chains_with	["T1078","T1078.001","T1078.003","T1078.004"]
prerequisites	["T1078"]
severity_boost	{"T1078":"Chain with T1078 for deeper attack path","T1078.001":"Chain with T1078.001 for deeper attack path","T1078.003":"Chain with T1078.003 for deeper attack path"}

T1078.002 Domain Accounts

Sub-technique of: T1078

High-Level Description

Adversaries may obtain and abuse credentials of a domain account as a means of gaining Initial Access, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, or Defense Evasion. Domain accounts are those managed by Active Directory Domain Services where access and permissions are configured across systems and services that are part of that domain. Domain accounts can cover users, administrators, and services.

Adversaries may compromise domain accounts, some with a high level of privileges, through various means such as OS Credential Dumping or password reuse, allowing access to privileged resources of the domain.

Kill Chain Phase

• Defense Evasion (TA0005)
• Persistence (TA0003)
• Privilege Escalation (TA0004)
• Initial Access (TA0001)

Platforms: ESXi, Linux, macOS, Windows

What to Check

• Identify if Domain Accounts technique is applicable to target environment
• Check ESXi systems for indicators of Domain Accounts
• Check Linux systems for indicators of Domain Accounts
• Check macOS systems for indicators of Domain Accounts
• Verify mitigations are bypassed or absent (5 known mitigations)
• Assess detection coverage (1 detection strategies)

How to Test

Manual Testing

1. Identify Attack Surface: Determine if the target environment is susceptible to Domain Accounts by examining the target platforms (ESXi, Linux, macOS).

2. Assess Existing Defenses: Review whether mitigations for T1078.002 are in place. If defenses are absent or misconfigured, this technique may be exploitable.

3. Execute Test: Use tools and methods described in the MITRE ATT&CK page and external references below.

Note: No Atomic Red Team tests available for this technique. See Atomic Red Team GitHub for updates.

Remediation Guide

M1018 User Account Management

Regularly review and manage domain accounts to ensure that only active, necessary accounts exist. Remove or disable inactive and unnecessary accounts to reduce the risk of adversaries abusing these accounts to gain unauthorized access or move laterally within the network.