How ITDR solutions protect against active directory attacks: A deep dive into Unosecur's approach

Imagine a large hotel where every guest is given a keycard that opens only the doors for their room and specific guest areas. Over time, the hotel’s management notices that a guest’s keycard—which should only work for one floor—starts unlocking doors on floors it never did before. Initially, the hotel’s security cameras at the front desk (much like traditional SIEM or a standalone MFA) don’t pick up on this subtle change because everything appears normal during entry. 

However, a new internal system that continuously monitors keycard usage would immediately flag this unexpected behavior. In the world of cybersecurity, Active Directory is like that hotel: if an attacker exploits misconfigured permissions or outdated settings to gain broader access, traditional systems might only notice once damage is done. 

Unosecur’s ITDR works like the advanced monitoring system, catching these irregularities in real time so that any unauthorized “keycard” changes trigger an instant alert—stopping the attacker before they can roam freely through the enterprise.

Active Directory (AD) remains a primary target for attackers seeking to compromise enterprise networks. Adversaries exploit well-known AD vulnerabilities—from stealthy replication methods to subtle configuration errors—to gain unauthorized access and elevate privileges. Traditional defenses, such as SIEM and standalone MFA, often fall short in detecting and preventing these sophisticated intrusions. 

Here is how Unosecur’s Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) platform identifies and neutralizes advanced AD attacks, offering continuous and proactive protection for your critical infrastructure.

Why active directory is under constant attack

Active Directory isn’t just a directory service; it’s the backbone for authentication and authorization in most enterprise environments. Its centralized nature makes it a high-value target, as compromising AD often leads to:

• Full domain control
• Credential theft
• Lateral movement across network segments

Attackers exploit AD’s inherent vulnerabilities—ranging from misconfigured permissions to sophisticated ticket forgery methods—to silently escalate privileges and establish persistent footholds. Traditional security tools tend to miss these nuanced attacks, setting the stage for a paradigm shift with ITDR.

Active directory: The ultimate attack surface

AD’s critical role in enterprise security

• Authentication & Authorization: AD manages access to applications, files, and services.
• Centralized administration: A single misconfiguration can have widespread implications.
• Interdependencies: AD’s integration with numerous systems amplifies the risk.

Key vulnerabilities in Active Directory

• Weak Access Control Lists (ACLs): Over-permissioned users and misconfigured group policies create exploitable gaps.
• Kerberos protocol weaknesses: Abuses like Pass-the-Ticket, Golden/Silver Tickets, and Kerberoasting exploit inherent flaws.
• Legacy configurations: Outdated settings and neglected security patches provide ample opportunities for lateral movement.

By understanding these vulnerabilities, security engineers can appreciate the need for a solution like Unosecur’s ITDR that continuously monitors, detects, and responds to these threats in real time.

Breaking down the AD kill chain: Real-world attack scenarios and ITDR countermeasures

To illustrate the power of ITDR, let’s dissect several real-world AD attack scenarios and detail how Unosecur’s platform neutralizes them.

Attack scenario 1: DCSync & DCShadow – Stealing AD replication rights

The attack:

• DCSync attacks: Attackers impersonate Domain Controllers (DCs) to replicate AD data, extracting sensitive credentials from replication protocols.
• DCShadow attacks: Adversaries register rogue DCs to inject malicious data into the AD environment.

Challenges for traditional tools:

• Log-Based limitations: SIEM solutions typically generate alerts post-factum, missing the subtle indicators of replication anomalies.
• Manual investigation: Time-consuming correlation of events delays response.

Unosecur ITDR’s Defense:

• Behavioral analytics: Continuously analyzes replication requests, flagging unusual patterns that deviate from baseline behavior.
• Automated remediation: Instantly blocks unauthorized replication attempts, isolating compromised nodes without disrupting legitimate operations.

Attack Scenario 2: Kerberoasting – exploiting weak service account encryption

The attack:

• Kerberoasting: Adversaries request service tickets for service accounts, then extract and brute-force the ticket hashes to reveal plaintext credentials.
• Exploitation of weak encryption: Relies on the fact that many service accounts are configured with weak or non-expiring passwords.

Challenges for traditional tools:

• Delayed detection: Traditional SIEM might log ticket requests but fail to correlate the brute-force attempts effectively.
• Lack of proactive countermeasures: Reactive alerts do not stop the attack progression.

Unosecur ITDR’s defense:

• Anomaly detection: Uses AI-driven models to identify unusual ticket request volumes or patterns, raising alerts when deviations occur.
• Service account hardening: Integrates with policy management to enforce stronger password policies and rotation schedules on high-risk accounts.
• Instant response: Automatically disables compromised accounts and notifies security teams for rapid incident handling.

Attack Scenario 3: Privilege escalation via over-permissioned accounts

The attack:

• Exploiting misconfigured ACLs: Attackers identify “shadow” or over-privileged accounts and abuse them to elevate their access levels.
• Chaining attacks: A combination of credential harvesting and ACL exploitation leads to unauthorized Domain Admin access.

Challenges for traditional tools:

• Static analysis: Periodic audits miss real-time changes and anomalies in permissions.
• Manual oversight: Reactive approaches to permission changes can allow attackers to linger undetected.

Unosecur ITDR’s defense:

• Continuous permission audits: Automatically scans and identifies over-permissioned accounts, alerting administrators to potential shadow privileges.
• Just-In-Time (JIT) privilege elevation: Limits the time window during which elevated privileges are active, reducing exposure.
• Automated remediation: Proactively revokes unnecessary permissions and locks down vulnerable accounts when suspicious activity is detected.

How Unosecur’s ITDR surpasses traditional AD security tools

Unosecur’s ITDR is purpose-built for modern AD environments, providing capabilities that far exceed what traditional Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) platforms offer.

Case study: A full-Scale AD takeover

Scenario Overview:

In mid-2024, the RansomHub ransomware group breached an unnamed multinational enterprise by exploiting Active Directory vulnerabilities, reported The Hacker News. 

The attackers initially gained access through brute-forcing a VPN account and then rapidly escalated their privileges by leveraging two critical AD exploits: CVE-2021-42278 (a noPac attack that impersonated a domain controller) and CVE-2020-1472 (the Zerologon vulnerability). By combining these methods, the adversaries were able to reset the domain controller’s machine password and obtain Domain Admin rights, ultimately seizing complete control over the Active Directory environment.

Once inside, the attackers used their newly acquired privileges to deploy ransomware across the network, exfiltrating sensitive data and causing extensive operational disruption. Traditional security measures like SIEM and standalone MFA failed to detect the subtle AD manipulation in real time, as they primarily rely on historical log analysis and did not flag the rapid sequence of unauthorized account changes and abnormal Kerberos ticket activity. This allowed the attackers to move laterally within the network, maintain persistence, and encrypt critical systems before the breach was fully uncovered.

The ITDR effect

A dedicated real-time ITDR solution could have identified these anomalies early by continuously monitoring AD for unusual account behavior, abnormal computer account creations, and irregular Kerberos activities. 

By flagging these deviations in real time, ITDR could have triggered automated responses—such as revoking compromised credentials or resetting critical passwords—potentially halting the ransomware deployment before widespread damage occurred. This incident underscores the need for robust identity-focused security measures to protect high-value targets like Active Directory.

Why Unosecur’s ITDR is a must-have for AD security

Proactive security vs. reactive alerts

• Beyond logging: ITDR continuously analyzes user behavior, detecting deviations that precede an attack rather than merely logging the aftermath.
• Automated interventions: With real-time threat neutralization, ITDR significantly reduces the window of exploitation.

Tailored for modern AD environments

• Adaptive to evolving threats: Unosecur’s platform constantly evolves its detection models to keep pace with emerging AD attack techniques.
• Seamless integration: Designed to integrate effortlessly with existing enterprise security stacks, ITDR enhances, rather than disrupts, operational workflows.

Empowering security professionals

• Actionable insights: Provides security engineers and CISOs with clear, technical guidance and automated remediation steps.
• Reduced manual overhead: By automating routine audits and responses, ITDR frees up valuable resources, allowing teams to focus on strategic initiatives.