How To Stop Active Directory Attacks with ITDR Solutions

Read full article here: https://www.unosecur.com/blog/how-itdr-solutions-protect-against-active-directory-attacks-a-deep-dive-into-unosecurs-approach/?source=nhimg

Active Directory (AD) is the backbone of identity and access management for most enterprises. It authenticates users, governs access to applications, and connects nearly every critical system. Because of this central role, AD has become one of the most targeted attack surfaces in modern enterprise networks.

Attackers exploit misconfigured permissions, Kerberos weaknesses, and legacy configurations to gain footholds, escalate privileges, and move laterally. A single misstep in AD can snowball into domain-wide compromise. Traditional defenses like SIEM and MFA, while useful, often fail to catch these nuanced attacks in real time.

That’s where Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) comes in. Unosecur’s ITDR platform is built to continuously monitor AD, detect advanced identity-based attacks, and stop intruders before they gain control.

Why Active Directory Attacks Succeed

Centralized Target Value

• Authentication & authorization - A compromised AD account can unlock hundreds of systems.
• Interdependencies - AD integrates with everything from SaaS apps to OT systems.
• Ripple effects - One misconfiguration can expose entire business units.

Common Weak Points

• Weak ACLs – Over-permissioned users and group policy misconfigurations.
• Kerberos Exploits – Attacks like Pass-the-Ticket, Kerberoasting, and Golden Ticket abuses.
• Legacy & Shadow Accounts – Dormant, unmanaged, or non-expiring credentials.

Traditional log-based detection often misses the subtle signals of these exploits, especially when attackers mimic legitimate behavior.

Breaking Down the AD Kill Chain and Unosecur’s ITDR Countermeasures

1. DCSync & DCShadow Attacks

• The Threat - Adversaries impersonate domain controllers (DCSync) to replicate credentials or register rogue DCs (DCShadow) to inject malicious data.
• Why SIEM Fails - Logs are noisy and often alert after the replication has succeeded.
• Unosecur ITDR Response:
  • Behavioral analytics baseline replication requests.
  • Flags deviations in real time.
  • Instantly blocks unauthorized replication without disrupting legitimate DCs.

2. Kerberoasting: Exploiting Service Account Weaknesses

• The Threat - Attackers request service tickets and brute-force weak hashes offline.
• Why SIEM Fails - Alerts may note high ticket requests but lack context to block them.
• Unosecur ITDR Response:
  • Detects unusual ticket request patterns with AI-driven models.
  • Enforces strong password policies & rotations for service accounts.
  • Immediately disables compromised accounts.

3. Privilege Escalation via Over-Permissioned Accounts

• The Threat - Misconfigured ACLs and forgotten shadow accounts provide attackers with stealthy admin-level access.
• Why SIEM Fails - Periodic audits miss real-time permission changes.
• Unosecur ITDR Response:
  • Continuous permission audits identify privilege creep instantly.
  • Just-in-Time (JIT) privilege elevation reduces standing exposure.
  • Automated remediation revokes unnecessary rights in seconds.

Case Study: What Could Have Been Prevented

In mid-2024, the RansomHub ransomware group compromised a multinational by chaining two AD exploits:

• CVE-2021-42278 (noPac) – impersonated a domain controller.
• CVE-2020-1472 (Zerologon) – reset the DC’s machine password.

The attackers achieved Domain Admin rights within hours, encrypted systems, and exfiltrated data.

Traditional defenses failed because they only logged events after the fact.
Unosecur’s ITDR could have:

• Flagged abnormal DC impersonation.
• Blocked suspicious Kerberos ticket anomalies.
• Revoked compromised credentials in real time, potentially stopping the ransomware blast radius.

Why ITDR Is a Must-Have for AD Security

• Proactive vs Reactive – Detects subtle identity abuse before it escalates.
• Automated Response – Blocks, rotates, and isolates without waiting for manual triage.
• Tailored for AD – Continuously adapts to evolving AD attack vectors.
• Compliance-Ready – Provides audit trails and governance visibility for regulatory mandates.

Conclusion: Identity-Centric Defense for the Modern Enterprise

Attackers no longer “hack in”, they log in with compromised identities. Active Directory remains the ultimate prize, and traditional security tools alone cannot defend it.

Unosecur’s ITDR platform provides the missing identity-centric layer of defense:

• Real-time monitoring of AD activity.
• Automated remediation for credential-based exploits.
• Continuous visibility into privilege changes and replication behaviors.

For CISOs, security engineers, and IT leaders, ITDR is no longer optional. It is the front line of defense against the identity-based attacks that fuel modern breaches.