Using COM Dcom - ties2/Red-Team GitHub Wiki

The increasing sophistication of attacks by malicious actors on computer systems and networks has made it necessary for organizations to develop advanced defensive measures to protect their digital assets. Red Teaming is one such approach that involves using simulated attacks to test the resilience of a system to actual threats. In this context, Red Teaming involves the use of various tools and techniques to launch simulated attacks on a system to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. One such technique that has gained popularity in recent years is the use of COM/DCOM to exploit vulnerabilities in a system. This paper will explore the use of COM/DCOM in Red Teaming and provide examples of how attackers could use this technique to infiltrate and compromise a system.

Background on COM/DCOM

Component Object Model (COM) is a technology that enables the creation of software components that can be reused in different applications. It allows developers to create reusable software components that can be integrated into different software applications. Distributed Component Object Model (DCOM) is a technology that builds on COM to enable the communication between software components across different networks. DCOM enables software components to communicate across different machines on a network, thereby making it possible to build complex software systems that can work across multiple machines.

COM/DCOM provides a rich set of capabilities that can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access to a system. Some of the ways in which attackers can exploit COM/DCOM include:

Remote Code Execution:

Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in COM/DCOM to execute arbitrary code on a remote system.

Privilege Escalation:

Attackers can use COM/DCOM to escalate their privileges on a system to gain administrative access.

Elevation of Privilege:

Attackers can use COM/DCOM to elevate their privileges on a system to gain access to sensitive data.

Denial of Service:

Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in COM/DCOM to launch denial of service attacks on a system, thereby making it unavailable to legitimate users.

Example of Using COM/DCOM in Red Teaming

The following are examples of how attackers could use COM/DCOM in Red Teaming:

Remote Code Execution:

Attackers can use COM/DCOM to execute arbitrary code on a remote system. For example, attackers could use a vulnerability in a Microsoft Windows COM component to execute code on a target system. The following is an example of how an attacker could exploit a vulnerability in the Windows Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC) component to execute arbitrary code on a target system:

a. The attacker identifies a system running a vulnerable version of MSDTC.

b. The attacker creates a specially crafted DCOM object that exploits the vulnerability in MSDTC.

c. The attacker hosts the DCOM object on a remote server.

d. The attacker then sends a request to the target system asking it to connect to the DCOM object hosted on the remote server.

e. When the target system connects to the DCOM object, the exploit is triggered, and the attacker gains control of the target system.

Privilege Escalation:

Attackers can use COM/DCOM to escalate their privileges on a system to gain administrative access. For example, attackers could use a vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows Object Manager to gain administrative access to a target system. The following is an example of how an attacker could exploit a vulnerability in the Object Manager to gain administrative access: a. The attacker identifies a system running a vulnerable version of the Object Manager.

b. The attacker creates a specially crafted DCOM object that exploits the vulnerability in the Object Manager.

c. The attacker hosts the DCOM object on a remote server.

d. The attacker then sends a request to the target system asking it to connect