Lateral movement

Definition

Lateral movement refers to the technique used by attackers to navigate through a network after initially breaching a system, allowing them to access additional devices and data without being detected. This strategy is crucial for attackers as it helps them expand their control within the compromised environment, often seeking out valuable targets like databases or sensitive systems. Understanding how lateral movement works is essential for recognizing exploitation techniques and post-exploitation activities that can lead to significant data breaches.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Lateral movement often involves the use of legitimate credentials, making it harder for security systems to detect unauthorized access.
2. Common tools for lateral movement include PowerShell and PsExec, which allow attackers to execute commands on remote machines.
3. Attackers often perform network reconnaissance before lateral movement to identify valuable targets and potential vulnerabilities.
4. Detecting lateral movement typically requires monitoring for unusual authentication patterns or access attempts from unfamiliar locations.
5. Effective network segmentation can help mitigate the risks associated with lateral movement by limiting an attacker's ability to traverse the network.

Review Questions

• How does lateral movement enhance an attacker's ability to achieve their objectives within a compromised network?
  • Lateral movement enhances an attacker's ability by allowing them to navigate through the network undetected and access critical resources. After gaining initial access, attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in other systems or use harvested credentials to broaden their reach. This enables them to locate sensitive data or systems that could lead to more significant breaches, ultimately increasing their chances of achieving their objectives.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of common tools used for lateral movement in bypassing security measures.
  • Common tools like PowerShell and PsExec are effective for lateral movement because they exploit legitimate administrative functions, making detection difficult. These tools allow attackers to execute commands remotely without raising alarms, as they mimic normal administrative tasks. This ability to blend in with regular network activity makes it challenging for security measures to differentiate between legitimate use and malicious intent, highlighting the need for more advanced detection methods.
• Assess the implications of effective network segmentation on mitigating lateral movement during an attack.
  • Effective network segmentation significantly reduces the risk of lateral movement by creating barriers between different segments of a network. By isolating critical systems and sensitive data, even if an attacker gains access to one segment, they may find it much harder or impossible to reach other valuable assets. This layered defense strategy limits the attacker's ability to move freely within the network, thus enhancing overall security and reducing the potential impact of a breach.

Related terms

Pivoting: A technique where an attacker uses one compromised system as a launch point to attack other systems on the same network.

Credential Harvesting: The process of obtaining user credentials from compromised systems to gain unauthorized access to additional resources.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP): A protocol that allows users to connect to another computer over a network, often targeted by attackers for lateral movement.