Analytics BIOC Low
✕

User set insecure CA registry setting for global SANs

A user enabled the EDITF_ATTRIBUTESUBJECTALTNAME2 registry flag, allowing custom Subject Alternative Names (SANs) to be specified on all certificate templates. This could enable attackers to bypass security controls by requesting certificates with user-defined SANs.

Module:
Identity Analytics
Data source:
XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH)
ATT&CK tactics: Defense Evasion (TA0005)
ATT&CK techniques: Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify Tools (T1562.001)
Detector tags: Active Directory Certificate Services Analytics
Attacker's goals:

This flag can allow an attacker to obtain a certificate with higher privileges and escalate to Domain Admin.

Investigative actions:

Confirm whether the registry change was authorized by the user or system administrator. Monitor certificate enrollments with Subject Alternate Names. Restore the secure configuration by disabling the EDITF_ATTRIBUTESUBJECTALTNAME2 flag and enforcing strict certificate policies. Investigate any unusual authentication attempts or certificates issued to high-privilege users or accounts.

Test period:
N/A (single event)
Deduplication:
1 Day