Magic Quadrant™ for Privlieged Access Management 2026: Netwrix recognized for the fifth year in a row. Download the report.

Active Directory Attacks: A Catalog of AD Security Risks and Techniques

Low Severity

Check for completeness of network declaration

MITRE: Mitigation

Technique: Active Directory Configuration

Technique ID: M1015

AD objects

Medium Severity

Check if all accounts require Kerberos pre-authentication

MITRE: Credential Access

Technique: Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets

Subtechnique: AS-REP Roasting

Technique ID: T1558.004

AD objects

High Severity

Check if the guest account is enabled

MITRE: Persistence , Privilege Escalation , Initial Access

Technique: Valid Accounts: Local Accounts

Technique ID: T1078.003

AD objects

Medium Severity

Computers with old password last set date

MITRE: Credential Access

Technique: Account Manipulation

Technique ID: T1098

AD objects

High Severity

Computers with SERVER_TRUST_ACCOUNT enabled

MITRE: Privilege Escalation , Domain Persistence

Technique: Domain Controller Authentication

Technique ID: T1207

AD objects

Low Severity

Disabled members

MITRE: Discovery , Privilege Escalation , Persistence , Defense Evasion

AD objects

Low Severity

Duplicate account check

MITRE: Mitigation

Technique: Active Directory Configuration

Technique ID: M1015

AD objects

Low Severity

Inactive computer check

MITRE: Mitigation

Technique: User Account Management

Technique ID: M1018

AD objects

High Severity

Kerberos krbtgt account with old password

MITRE: Credential Access , Privilege Escalation

Technique: Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets

Technique ID: T1558

AD objects

Low Severity

Objects created (Past 7 Days)

MITRE: Persistence , Privilege Escalation

Technique: Create Account

Subtechnique: T1136.002 Domain Account

Technique ID: T1136

AD objects

High Severity

Old password (over 180 days)

MITRE: Discovery , Credential Access

Technique: Brute Force, Credential Dumping

Technique ID: T1110, T1003

AD objects

Medium Severity

Principals with non-default Primary Group IDs

MITRE: Persistence , Privilege Escalation

Technique: Account Manipulation

Technique ID: T1098

AD objects