Credential Extraction: What’s Really Going on Inside your Network
Cyberattacks don’t start with “!!! PAY 10 BITCOIN TO WALLET X !!!”.
There’s no warnings, just a bunch of credentials slipping out of memory and into the hands of someone who very much shouldn’t have them.
Credential extraction is one of the most effective techniques attackers use once they’ve gained a foothold inside a network. It’s not flashy and that’s exactly why it works so well.
Let’s break it down.
What Is Credential Extraction (Really)?
Credential extraction is the process of stealing authentication material from a system. That could be:
- Plaintext passwords: Username: j.smith | Password: Winter2024!
- NTLM hashes: j.smith:1001:aad3b435b51404eeaad3b435b51404ee:5f4dcc3b5aa765d61d8327deb882cf99
- Kerberos tickets: krbtgt/ | valid 08:15–18:15 | forwardable
- Cached credentials: $DCC2$10240#j.smith#e4b9c1c8c5f8a7b3d1f2a9c4e6b8
- Tokens sitting in memory, minding their own business: eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9…
Once attackers have these, they don’t need exploits anymore. They just log in.
And that’s the dangerous part.
From a SOC perspective, stolen credentials make attackers look legitimate. Same usernames. Same protocols. Same access paths. The wolf isn’t kicking the door down anymore, it’s wearing a staff badge.
How Credential Extraction Actually Works
Attackers rarely jump straight to the crown jewels. There’s a flow, and it usually looks like this:
- Initial Access: Phishing, exposed RDP, vulnerable VPN, compromised supplier. Take your pick.
- Local Compromise: Once on a machine, attackers escalate privileges or wait patiently for a privileged user to log in.
- Memory Scraping: Operating systems have to store credentials somewhere, at least temporarily.
Tools hook into LSASS, dump memory, and extract whatever secrets are lying around.
- Credential Reuse:Those credentials are then used to:
- Move laterally
- Access servers
- Pull data
- Create persistence
- Blend in
At this stage, attackers often stop “attacking” and start operating.
Red Team Tools That Do Credential Extraction
These tools are widely used by red teams… and just as widely abused by threat actors. Knowing them matters.
Mimikatz
The classic. Still devastating.
Pulls plaintext credentials, hashes, Kerberos tickets and more straight from memory.
LaZagne
Focused on harvesting credentials stored by applications. Browsers, email clients, VPNs, you name it.
CrackMapExec
A post-exploitation Swiss Army knife. Often used alongside stolen credentials to move laterally at speed.
Rubeus
Kerberos-focused and incredibly powerful. Perfect for ticket extraction, pass-the-ticket attacks and persistence.
ProcDump + LSASS Dumping
Sometimes attackers don’t even bother with fancy tools. Dump LSASS, extract later, job done.
Cobalt Strike
Not a credential tool by itself, but its beacons frequently deliver credential dumping modules as part of broader operations.
None of these tools are exotic. That’s the problem.
Why Credential Extraction Is So Hard to Spot
Traditional security controls struggle here because:
- No malware needs to touch disk
- Legitimate admin tools are abused
- Network traffic looks “normal”
- Authentication succeeds
From a log perspective, everything checks out. From a behavioral perspective, it doesn’t. That’s where things change.
How Redborder Stops Credential Extraction Attacks
Redborder doesn’t wait for malware signatures or known tools.
It watches how the network behaves when credentials are abused.
And stolen credentials always leave fingerprints.
- Behavioral Detection, Not Guesswork
When credentials are extracted and reused, the network tells a story:
-
- Unusual authentication paths
- Lateral movement that doesn’t match historical behavior
- Systems talking to systems they never talk to
- Privileged access at strange times, from strange places
Redborder’s NDR builds a baseline of what normal looks like and flags the moment reality bends.
- East-West Traffic Visibility
Credential extraction is pointless without movement.
Redborder monitors internal traffic where most tools go blind.
That’s where attackers feel safest.
That’s where they get caught.
- Real-Time Response
Once suspicious behavior is detected, Redborder can:
-
- Isolate compromised hosts
- Block malicious IPs
- Stop lateral movement before credentials turn into a full breach
- No waiting. No hindsight reports. Just action.
The Takeaway
Credential extraction isn’t advanced hacking.
It’s an efficient crime.
Attackers don’t need zero-days when they can steal keys. And once they have them, your perimeter becomes irrelevant.
The question isn’t if credentials will be targeted.
It’s whether you’ll notice when they’re used against you.
Redborder exists for that moment.Book a meeting with a member of our team today.
