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Disabled Kerberos Pre-Authentication Discovery With PowerView

The following analytic detects the execution of the `Get-DomainUser` commandlet with the `-PreauthNotRequired` parameter using PowerShell Script Block Logging (EventCode=4104). This command is part of PowerView, a tool used for enumerating Windows Active Directory networks. Identifying domain accounts with Kerberos Pre-Authentication disabled is significant because adversaries can leverage this information to attempt offline password cracking. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access to domain accounts, potentially compromising sensitive information and escalating privileges within the network.

Detection Query

`powershell` EventCode=4104 (ScriptBlockText = "*Get-DomainUser*" AND ScriptBlockText="*PreauthNotRequired*")
  | fillnull
  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
    BY dest signature signature_id
       user_id vendor_product EventID
       Guid Opcode Name
       Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId
       ScriptBlockText
  | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
  | `disabled_kerberos_pre_authentication_discovery_with_powerview_filter`

Author

Mauricio Velazco, Splunk

Data Sources

Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
Raw Content
name: Disabled Kerberos Pre-Authentication Discovery With PowerView
id: b0b34e2c-90de-11ec-baeb-acde48001122
version: 15
creation_date: '2022-02-18'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the execution of the `Get-DomainUser` commandlet with the `-PreauthNotRequired` parameter using PowerShell Script Block Logging (EventCode=4104). This command is part of PowerView, a tool used for enumerating Windows Active Directory networks. Identifying domain accounts with Kerberos Pre-Authentication disabled is significant because adversaries can leverage this information to attempt offline password cracking. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access to domain accounts, potentially compromising sensitive information and escalating privileges within the network.
data_source:
    - Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
search: |-
    `powershell` EventCode=4104 (ScriptBlockText = "*Get-DomainUser*" AND ScriptBlockText="*PreauthNotRequired*")
      | fillnull
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY dest signature signature_id
           user_id vendor_product EventID
           Guid Opcode Name
           Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId
           ScriptBlockText
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `disabled_kerberos_pre_authentication_discovery_with_powerview_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this analytic, you will need to enable PowerShell Script Block Logging on some or all endpoints. Additional setup here https://help.splunk.com/en/security-offerings/splunk-user-behavior-analytics/get-data-in/5.4.1/add-other-data-to-splunk-uba/configure-powershell-logging-to-see-powershell-anomalies-in-splunk-uba.
known_false_positives: Administrators or power users may use PowerView for troubleshooting
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1558/004/
    - https://m0chan.github.io/2019/07/31/How-To-Attack-Kerberos-101.html
    - https://stealthbits.com/blog/cracking-active-directory-passwords-with-as-rep-roasting/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") | 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: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: Disabled Kerberos Pre-Authentication Discovery With PowerView from $dest$
    entity:
        field: dest
        type: system
        score: 50
analytic_story:
    - Active Directory Kerberos Attacks
    - Interlock Ransomware
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1558.004
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1059.001/powershell_script_block_logging/getdomainuser.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog
      test_type: unit