This blog details how attackers exploit Unconstrained Delegation in Active Directory to achieve domain takeover. You’ll see a step-by-step breakdown of capturing a Domain Controller’s TGT, why it’s critical, and, of course, learn actionable steps to prevent this threat.

Unconstrained delegation is a legacy Active Directory feature that allows specific systems or services to impersonate users across the domain, allowing easier authentication between services. However, when left enabled on a compromised machine or misconfigured, it provides attackers a straightforward path to complete domain compromise. By coercing a privileged system like the Domain Controller into authenticating against a compromised host, attackers can capture TGTs (Ticket Granting Tickets).

Capturing these TGTs enables attackers to impersonate any user or system in the domain, gaining unrestricted access to sensitive resources and allowing devastating attack techniques such as credential dumping, DCSync, and persistence through Golden Tickets. This blog provides a detailed, practical breakdown of attackers’ exact methods to exploit this scenario. Additionally, it covers robust, actionable strategies to identify, mitigate, and prevent Unconstrained Delegation abuses within your Active Directory enterprises.