ToolkitLateral Movement

Practical documentation · Authorized use only

CrackMapExec

CrackMapExec’s original upstream is archived. Its responsible public coverage is limited to authorized AD/SMB inventory concepts, signing and protocol-control review, and defensive telemetry in a disposable lab; do not publish credential, command-execution, or lateral-movement workflows.

Active DirectorySMBPost-ExploitationPython

Start safely and get useful results

Best for

  • • AD/SMB defensive inventory concepts
  • • Legacy-tool maintenance assessment

Not for

  • • Credential spraying
  • • Remote execution, secrets collection, or lateral movement

Before you run anything

  • • Document the authorized target, time window, success criteria, data-handling rules, and a named stop contact before you begin.
  • • Confirm the installed version with the tool’s version or help command, then compare its documented behavior with the linked upstream project before relying on any option.

Practical workflows

Beginner

Assess project status before use

Scenario: A security team evaluates whether a legacy tool belongs in a lab.

crackmapexec --help

Verify whether the installed legacy package is usable and record project/archive status before selecting alternatives.

Expected use: Prefer a maintained, reviewed successor where the actual assessment requires tooling.

Intermediate

Use a disposable lab for control observation

Scenario: A synthetic AD lab validates SMB signing and telemetry.

Use a disposable AD lab with synthetic users and read-only inventory scope.

Capture Windows and network logs; do not perform credential or command operations.

Expected use: Report configuration and detection findings with owner validation.

Interpret results like an analyst

  • • Archived tooling creates supply-chain and correctness risk; do not treat old examples as current practice.
  • • SMB and AD control results need corroboration with policy, event logs, and configuration evidence.

Common mistakes and operating tips

Avoid

  • • Following archived tool guidance on a production domain.
  • • Treating a tool’s output as proof of viable lateral movement.

Operational discipline

  • • Treat command output as evidence, not a conclusion: retain the command, version, scope, timestamp, and a redacted result in the engagement record.
  • • Start with the smallest safe scope, validate expected behavior in a lab or pilot, then expand only when the authorization and monitoring plan support it.

Verify against the current upstream

Tool behavior and release syntax can change. Treat this guide as practical operating context, then verify version-specific details against the upstream project before an assessment.

Open authoritative upstream documentation