Section 4: Post-Exploitation: Gaining Persistence and Moving Within the Network

Once an attacker has successfully exploited a vulnerability and gained initial access, their journey is far from over. The true objective often lies in establishing a persistent foothold and moving laterally within the compromised network to achieve their ultimate goals, whether that's data exfiltration, system disruption, or further command and control. This phase, known as Post-Exploitation, is where attackers solidify their presence and begin their deeper reconnaissance and maneuverings.

The core of post-exploitation revolves around two primary objectives: Persistence and Lateral Movement. Persistence ensures that even if the initial point of entry is discovered and closed, the attacker can regain access. Lateral movement allows them to spread their influence across multiple systems, increasing their chances of finding high-value targets and evading detection.

1. Establishing Persistence: The goal here is to ensure continued access to the compromised system. Attackers employ various techniques to achieve this, making it difficult for defenders to remove them completely.

a. Creating Backdoors: These are hidden entry points that bypass normal authentication mechanisms. They can be implemented through modified services, scheduled tasks, or even by injecting malicious code into legitimate processes.

b. Modifying Startup Processes: By altering registry keys, startup folders, or system services, attackers can ensure their malicious code executes automatically whenever the system boots up.

c. Leveraging Legitimate Tools: Attackers often use built-in system tools like schtasks (Windows) or cron (Linux) to schedule malicious scripts or programs, blending in with normal system activity.

d. Planting Rootkits: These are more sophisticated forms of malware designed to conceal their presence and other malicious activities from the operating system and security tools. They can operate at a very low level, making them extremely difficult to detect and remove.