The Dangers of Session Enumeration and How to Protect Yourself

August 24, 2023
Posted by: admin
Category: Blog

Session enumeration is a type of reconnaissance attack where an attacker attempts to enumerate active sessions on a network to gather information about connected systems and users. The data collected during session enumeration can be used to launch further attacks, such as targeted spear-phishing attacks, privilege escalation, and lateral movement within a network.

This type of attack can be dangerous because it allows an attacker to gather valuable information about a network, such as a list of connected systems and users, which can be used to launch further attacks. Session enumeration can also be used to identify systems with weak security controls, which can be exploited by an attacker to gain access to sensitive data or to move laterally within a network.

In fact, the greatest danger of session enumeration is if the attacker can gain access to a privileged account or to a system with administrative privileges. This can allow a bad actor to carry out more dangerous attacks, such as privilege escalation and lateral movement.

Using NetCease to Prevent Session Enumeration

NetCease is a PowerShell script that modifies a specific Windows Registry key to prevent session enumeration. The script does this by changing the permissions of the NetSessionEnum method by modifying the SrvsvcSessionInfo key. This key controls the permissions of who can query the local computer’s DC session data.

The NetCease script hardens the access to the NetSessionEnum method by removing the execute permission for Authenticated Users group and adding permissions for interactive, service and batch logon sessions. This will allow any administrator, system operator, and power user to remotely call this method, and any interactive/service/batch logon session to call it locally while preventing unauthenticated and low-privileged users from querying for data.

Understanding the different attack methods used by attackers is critical to building good defenses. Session Enumeration is a popular method used by attackers to escalate privileges and move laterally within a network. Implementing NetCease is an effective way of preventing session enumeration. This solution in conjunction with security controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and access controls also can help to mitigate the risk of session enumeration and other types of reconnaissance attacks. It is important to keep track of the activity in your network and have a well-implemented incident response plan in case of a security incident.

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