root@thehacksparrow:~/writeups$ SYSTEM ONLINE
root@sparrow:~/writeups$ cat baby.md
// writeups

Baby

18 Sep 2025 · 16 min read · root access
Baby - maquina de Hack The Box

Executive summary — Baby is a Windows machine built on a Domain Controller (Active Directory) that isn't cracked with a single exploit, but by chaining configuration slips: an anonymous LDAP bind leaks an initial password in the description attribute, group membership reveals hidden accounts that direct enumeration never shows, a targeted password spray plus an SMB password reset yields a shell as a member of Backup Operators, and SeBackupPrivilege lets us dump NTDS.dit for a final Pass-the-Hash as Administrator. An LDAP → SMB → WinRM → Root path.

PlatformHack The Box
Operating systemWindows
DifficultyEasy
StatusRetired
Target IP10.129.33.154

Attack map

[anon LDAP]  baby.vl (BabyDC) — anonymous bind
   │  Teresa.Bell description leaks  BabyStart123!
   ▼
[dev/it groups]  the member attribute reveals hidden users
   │  Caroline.Robinson · Ian.Walker (different read ACL)
   ▼
[Password spray]  Caroline.Robinson → STATUS_PASSWORD_MUST_CHANGE
   │  password reset over SMB → Hackerman2026!
   ▼
[WinRM]  Caroline.Robinson  (BUILTIN\Backup Operators)
   │  SeBackupPrivilege → diskshadow (VSS) → robocopy /b → NTDS.dit
   ▼
[secretsdump]  Administrator NTLM hash
   │  Pass-the-Hash
   ▼
[ROOT]  Administrator via WinRM → root.txt

1. Reconnaissance

We start by mapping the attack surface: a full-port sweep tuned for speed, then a scripted, version-detecting scan over the open ports:

nmap -p- --min-rate 3000 -T4 -Pn 10.129.33.154
nmap -p 53,88,135,139,389,445,464,593,636,3268,3269,3389,5985,9389 -sC -sV -Pn 10.129.33.154

Relevant result: a port set that is the classic fingerprint of a Domain Controller — 53 (DNS), 88 (Kerberos), 135 (MSRPC), 139/445 (SMB), 389/636/3268/3269 (LDAP/LDAPS/Global Catalog), 464 (kpasswd), 3389 (RDP), 5985 (WinRM) and 9389 (ADWS). The scan also reveals: Windows Server 2022 (build 20348), domain baby.vl, hostname BabyDC, and a self-signed RDP certificate (commonName=BabyDC.baby.vl).

Analysis: against a DC, AD enumeration (SMB, LDAP, Kerberos) is almost always the entry vector. There is no web app: all focus goes to the directory services.

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