Active Directory Pentesting: Troubleshooting Tool Issues

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 11:34:00 +0800

1. Garbled Output in wmiexec

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# Run this on the target host first
chcp
# Assume it returns 936
# Then run wmiexec with the encoding option
python wmiexec.py -codec cp936 -hashes :2b2ddd54e1f78fab85e7c662f672f30e MAIN/administrator@192.168.0.111

2. Unable to Install VMware Tools

I ran into this while setting up an Active Directory environment. My vulnerable Windows Server 2012 R2 machine wouldn’t install VMware Tools, which made transferring files and copying and pasting a real pain. The Chinese tutorials I found online all had problems.

https://netwoven.com/cloud-infrastructure-management/windows-server-2012-r2-error-required-kb2919355/

This article explains what to do. Things will go wrong if you don’t follow the steps in order, though there are still a few minor issues. The solution is below.

What you need to download

#Windows8.1-KB2919442-x64 is available at this URL; download this one too

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42162

Windows patch download: Windows8.1-KB2919355-x64 is available at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=42335. Download all of the files.

Run Windows Update and install everything, including optional updates
Run clearcompressionflag.exe (downloaded with the servicing stack fix). It runs in the background, so wait a minute before installing the fix
Manually download and install the patches in this order
Windows8.1-KB2932046-x64
Windows8.1-KB2934018-x64
Windows8.1-KB2937592-x64
Windows8.1-KB2938439-x64
Windows8.1-KB2959977-x64
Windows8.1-KB2919442-x64
Windows8.1-KB2919355-x64

Restart whenever prompted after installing them.

Then install VMware Tools.

https://packages.vmware.com/tools/releases/

Pick whichever version you like and download its ISO file, like this one.

Add a new CD/DVD drive and mount the ISO. You’ll then see a drive like this under Computer.

Open it.

Run the installer, keep clicking Next, and you’re done.

Troubleshooting on MentalityXt

Active Directory Pentesting: Troubleshooting Tool Issues

1. Garbled Output in wmiexec

2. Unable to Install VMware Tools