What Is Lateral Movement in Cyber Security?
Lateral movement in cyber security refers to the tactics, techniques, and procedures that cyber adversaries use to progress through a network, as they seek to access and exploit valuable resources. This approach enables an attacker, who has already infiltrated a system, to navigate across the network, gaining access to other interconnected systems. It’s a potent attack vector since it operates by exploiting the inherently trusting nature of an organization’s internal network.
Lateral movement represents a significant threat to organizations and is a key component of sophisticated, targeted attacks. By understanding how attackers move laterally, cyber defense teams can better anticipate and thwart attacks, thereby reducing the potential impact on their networks and systems.
This is part of a series of articles about cyber attack
Stages of Lateral Movement Attacks
Here is the general process of a lateral movement attacks:
1. Reconnaissance
The first step in a lateral movement attack is reconnaissance. In this stage, the attacker, having gained initial access to the network, starts to understand the environment. They scrutinize the infrastructure, identify potential targets, and evaluate the network’s vulnerabilities.
This reconnaissance phase is critical as it allows the attacker to plan their next steps carefully. They might use a variety of methods, such as network scanning, to gather information about the systems in the network. This information provides a roadmap for their subsequent actions and helps them to minimize the risk of detection.
2. Credential Dumping and Privilege Escalation
After the reconnaissance phase, the attacker usually moves on to credential dumping and privilege escalation. Credential dumping involves obtaining the login credentials of users or admins from a compromised system.
Attackers often use tools like Mimikatz, a utility for extracting plaintext passwords, hashes, PIN codes, and Kerberos tickets from memory. Once they have these credentials, they can use them to gain elevated privileges, a process known as privilege escalation. This allows the attacker to perform actions that would otherwise be restricted, such as accessing sensitive data or modifying system configurations.
3. Gaining Access to Critical Systems
The final stage of a lateral movement attack is gaining access to other systems. Using the privileges they’ve obtained, the attacker can traverse the network, compromising other systems as they go along. This can include servers that host sensitive data or critical infrastructure.
During this phase, the attacker might also install additional tools or malware to maintain their presence in the network, even if their initial point of entry is discovered and closed. This persistent threat can lead to ongoing data breaches and system disruptions, making it especially crucial for organizations to detect and respond to lateral movement as early as possible.
Related content: Read our guide to cyber security threats
Technologies Commonly Used for Lateral Movement
Mimikatz
Mimikatz, a powerful attack platform developed by Benjamin Delpy, is designed to collect the credentials of other users from the memory of Windows computers. It can be used to extract plaintext passwords, hash, PIN code, and Kerberos tickets, making it a versatile tool in the hands of attackers.
Mimikatz can be particularly devastating when combined with other methods of lateral movement. For instance, an attacker could use Mimikatz to extract credentials and then use these credentials to move laterally through the network using other tools or techniques.
PsExec
PsExec is another tool often used in lateral movement. Originally developed by Sysinternals and later acquired by Microsoft, PsExec is a lightweight telnet-replacement that allows system administrators to execute processes on remote systems.
In the hands of an attacker, PsExec can be used to execute arbitrary commands on remote systems, facilitating lateral movement within a network. It can be used in conjunction with other tools or techniques to escalate privileges or gain access to additional systems.
RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol)
The Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft that allows users to connect to a computer running Microsoft Terminal Services. With RDP, users can remotely control desktops, allowing them to execute commands and run applications as if they were physically at the machine.
Because of its functionality, RDP is an attractive tool for attackers seeking to move laterally through a network. Once an attacker gains access to a system, they could use RDP to remotely control other machines within the network, enabling them to spread their influence and gain control over additional systems.
SMB (Server Message Block)
The Server Message Block (SMB) is a protocol for sharing access to files, printers, serial ports, and other resources on a network. It is commonly used in Windows environments, making it a popular target for attackers seeking to move laterally through a network.
Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in the SMB protocol to execute arbitrary code on remote systems, facilitating lateral movement. They can also use it to gain access to shared resources, providing them with additional avenues for attack.
WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation)
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is a set of extensions to the Windows Driver Model that provides an operating system interface through which instrumented components provide information and notification. It allows scripting languages like VBScript or Windows PowerShell to manage Microsoft Windows personal computers and servers, both locally and remotely.
Attackers can exploit WMI’s capabilities to move laterally through a network. They can use it to execute arbitrary commands on remote systems, gather information about these systems, or even manipulate system settings, all of which can facilitate lateral movement.
5 Ways to Detect of Lateral Movement
1. Abnormal Access Patterns
Detecting lateral movement often begins with noticing abnormal access patterns. For instance, you may notice a user account that typically accesses a limited set of resources suddenly accessing a broader range of systems. This could be a sign that an attacker has compromised the account and is using it to move laterally across your network.
Another red flag is when a user account that normally operates during specific hours is active at unusual times. While this could be due to a simple change in the user’s schedule, it may also be indicative of an attacker operating from a different time zone. In both cases, these abnormal patterns should prompt further investigation.
2. Unexpected or Unusual Network Flows
Another pointer to the potential presence of lateral movement is observing unexpected or unusual network flows. Networks have a ‘rhythm’ or ‘pattern’ that, when disrupted, may signify a potential breach. For example, you may notice a significant amount of data being transferred between systems that typically have limited interaction.
Similarly, odd network connections, such as those to and from unexpected ports or services, can hint at an intruder’s lateral movement. Such occurrences warrant immediate attention, as they could indicate an intruder is exploring your network, seeking valuable data, or setting up for a more destructive attack.
3. Use of Administrative Tools from Unexpected Endpoints
Attackers often exploit administrative tools to facilitate their lateral movement. Such tools, while crucial for network management, can also be used maliciously to gain control over additional systems. Detection of lateral movement, therefore, involves closely monitoring the usage of these tools.
Seeing an administrative tool being accessed from an atypical endpoint should raise a red flag. For instance, if a tool normally operated from a specific server starts being accessed from a user’s workstation, it could signal an attacker’s presence. In such instances, it is critical to investigate and verify the legitimacy of the action.
4. Multiple Login Attempts Across Various Systems
Another strong indicator of lateral movement is observing multiple login attempts across systems. An attacker who has gained initial access to your network will try to expand their foothold. This often involves attempting to log into multiple systems, using either stolen credentials or brute force. When attackers attempt the same stolen credentials on multiple systems, this is known as credential stuffing.
This behavior can be detected through careful monitoring of login activity across your network. Multiple failed login attempts from a single account or numerous successful logins to various systems in a short period should prompt an immediate security response.
5. Alerts from Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
IDS/IPS systems play a crucial role in detecting lateral movement. These systems monitor network traffic for signs of malicious activity, generating alerts when suspicious patterns are detected.
An uptick in IDS or IPS alerts could suggest an ongoing lateral movement attack. However, interpreting these alerts can be challenging, as not all represent genuine threats. Security teams must analyze these alerts and differentiate between false positives and true indicators of compromise.
How to Prevent Lateral Movement
Here are a few key methods for preventing lateral movement in your network.
Least Privilege Principle for User and Application Permissions
Applying the least privilege principle can significantly reduce the risk of lateral movement. This principle involves giving users and applications the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks. If an attacker compromises a user account or application, they are limited to the permissions assigned to that account or application, hindering their ability to move laterally.
Network Segmentation and Micro-Segmentation
Network segmentation involves dividing your network into smaller, isolated segments. By doing this, you limit an attacker’s ability to move laterally. Even if they compromise one segment, the others remain protected.
Micro-segmentation takes this a step further by isolating individual workloads within a segment. This approach provides granular control over network traffic, allowing you to define precise security policies for each workload.
Strong Authentication Mechanisms
Strong authentication mechanisms are another powerful deterrent against lateral movement. Two-factor or multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA) can add an additional layer of security, making it harder for attackers to use stolen credentials.
Biometric authentication, such as fingerprint or facial recognition, can also increase security. These methods are difficult to replicate, reducing the risk of credential theft.
Regular Patching and Updates
Keeping systems up-to-date is a fundamental part of preventing lateral movement. Regular patching and updates ensure that vulnerabilities, which attackers could exploit to move laterally, are promptly fixed.
Implementing a robust patch management process can help streamline this task. This process should prioritize patches based on the severity of the vulnerabilities they fix and the criticality of the systems they protect.
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Solutions
Finally, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions can provide an effective defense against lateral movement. EDR tools monitor endpoints for signs of malicious activity, and can take automated actions to contain and eliminate threats.
By providing continuous monitoring and real-time response capabilities, EDR solutions can quickly detect and stop lateral movement attempts. They can also gather valuable forensic data to help understand the attacker’s tactics and improve future defenses.
Securing Networks with Imperva
Imperva Network Security helps organizations ensure constant network availability through constant optimization and protection across corporate, data center, and cloud infrastructure.
- Imperva Content Delivery Network (CDN) brings content caching, load balancing, and failover so your applications and content are securely delivered across the globe.
- Imperva DDoS Protection secures all your assets at the edge from attempts at disruption. Avoid paying ransoms, ensure business continuity, and guarantee uptime for your customers.
- Imperva DNS Protection is an always-on service that secures your network edge against DNS attacks and guarantees mitigation of DDoS attacks targeting domain name servers for uninterrupted operations.
