216.73.216.6

T1556.005: Reversible Encryption

View on MITRE ATT&CK The MITRE Corporation · Published 13/01/2022 21:02 · Modified 27/03/2026 01:12

Essential information

MITRE technique ID
T1556.005
Confidence
100/100
Revoked
No
Published
13/01/2022 21:02
Modified
27/03/2026 01:12
Author / Source
The MITRE Corporation

Platforms

windows

Description

An adversary may abuse Active Directory authentication encryption properties to gain access to credentials on Windows systems. The `AllowReversiblePasswordEncryption` property specifies whether reversible password encryption for an account is enabled or disabled. By default this property is disabled (instead storing user credentials as the output of one-way hashing functions) and should not be enabled unless legacy or other software require it.(Citation: store_pwd_rev_enc) If the property is enabled and/or a user changes their password after it is enabled, an adversary may be able to obtain the plaintext of passwords created/changed after the property was enabled. To decrypt the passwords, an adversary needs four components: 1. Encrypted password (`G$RADIUSCHAP`) from the Active Directory user-structure `userParameters` 2. 16 byte randomly-generated value (`G$RADIUSCHAPKEY`) also from `userParameters` 3. Global LSA secret (`G$MSRADIUSCHAPKEY`) 4. Static key hardcoded in the Remote Access Subauthentication DLL (`RASSFM.DLL`) With this information, an adversary may be able to reproduce the encryption key and subsequently decrypt the encrypted password value.(Citation: how_pwd_rev_enc_1)(Citation: how_pwd_rev_enc_2) An adversary may set this property at various scopes through Local Group Policy Editor, user properties, Fine-Grained Password Policy (FGPP), or via the ActiveDirectory [PowerShell](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/001) module. For example, an adversary may implement and apply a FGPP to users or groups if the Domain Functional Level is set to "Windows Server 2008" or higher.(Citation: dump_pwd_dcsync) In PowerShell, an adversary may make associated changes to user settings using commands similar to `Set-ADUser -AllowReversiblePasswordEncryption $true`.

Kill chain phases

Kill chainPhase
mitre-attack credential-access
mitre-attack defense-evasion
mitre-attack persistence

Marking (TLP)

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External references