Malicious Active Directory Database (NTDS.dit) Extraction (via process_creation)

ATT&CK techniques

Cred Access

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
- T1003.003NTDS
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects extraction of the Active Directory database via ntdsutil Install-From-Media snapshots or shadow-copy access to ntds.dit, which yields every domain credential hash for offline cracking and forging. NTDS credential access is a high-impact technique in the Red Canary Threat Detection Report and a common precursor to domain-wide compromise. Detecting these extraction commands surfaces a domain-controller-level credential theft.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1003.003 — drag to rearrange

Malicious NTDS Extraction via ntdsutil IFM (via process_creation)

Malicious NTDS Database Staging to Audit Directory (via file_event)

IFM Creation Detected from Commandline - Installation from Media (via process_creation)

Malicious Credential Hive Copy from Volume Shadow Copy

Malicious File Copy via Esentutl Volume Shadow Access (via process_creation)

Malicious NTDS Extraction via NetExec (via process_creation)

Malicious Active Directory Database Dump via ntdsutil IFM (via process_creation)

Malicious NTDS Extraction via Ntdsutil IFM Media Creation

Malicious NTDS.dit Extraction via ntdsutil IFM Snapshot (via process_creation)

Malicious Active Directory Database (NTDS.dit) Extraction (via process_creation)

Pivot detection · T1003.003 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

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