DNS Kerberos Coercion

name: DNS Kerberos Coercion
id: 8551252d-b5b6-4b6e-8a82-51460aeb29a3
version: 3
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Raven Tait, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: Detects DNS-based Kerberos coercion attacks where adversaries inject marshaled credential structures into DNS records to spoof SPNs and redirect authentication such as in CVE-2025-33073. This detection leverages suricata looking for specific CREDENTIAL_TARGET_INFORMATION structures in DNS queries.
data_source:
    - Suricata
    - Sysmon EventID 22
search: |-
    | tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(DNS.src) as src values(DNS.dest) as dest FROM datamodel=Network_Resolution
      WHERE DNS.query="*1UWhRC*" DNS.query="*AAAAA*" DNS.query="*YBAAAA*"
      BY DNS.answer DNS.answer_count DNS.query
         DNS.query_count DNS.reply_code_id DNS.src
         DNS.vendor_product
    | `drop_dm_object_name(DNS)`
    | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
    | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
    | table firstTime lastTime query count src dest
    | `dns_kerberos_coercion_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you will need to ensure that DNS data is populating the Network_Resolution data model.
known_false_positives: It's unlikely that a DNS entry contains the specific structure used by this attack. Filter as needed for your organization.
references:
    - https://web.archive.org/web/20250617122747/https://www.synacktiv.com/publications/ntlm-reflection-is-dead-long-live-ntlm-reflection-an-in-depth-analysis-of-cve-2025
    - https://www.synacktiv.com/publications/relaying-kerberos-over-smb-using-krbrelayx
    - https://www.guidepointsecurity.com/blog/the-birth-and-death-of-loopyticket/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$src$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  host = "$src$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$src$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$src$") starthoursago=168  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
    message: A dns query $query$ with marshalled CREDENTIAL_TARGET_INFORMATION seen from $src$
    risk_objects:
        - field: src
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Compromised Windows Host
        - Suspicious DNS Traffic
        - Local Privilege Escalation With KrbRelayUp
        - Kerberos Coercion with DNS
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1557.001
        - T1187
        - T1071.004
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: network
    cve:
        - CVE-2025-33073
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1071.004/kerberos_coercion/suricata.log
          source: not_applicable
          sourcetype: suricata
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1071.004/kerberos_coercion/sysmon.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog