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

Timelapse

26 Mar 2022 · 15 min read · root access
Timelapse - maquina de Hack The Box

Executive summary — Timelapse is an Active Directory chain built from four chained credential-hygiene mistakes, without exploiting a single CVE: the guest account (no password) reads a share holding a WinRM certificate backup protected by two weak-password layers (zip and .pfx, both cracked with rockyou); the certificate authenticates over WinRM over HTTPS (5986) as legacyyuser.txt; legacyy's PowerShell history stores the plaintext password of the svc_deploy service account; and svc_deploy belongs to the LAPS_Readers group, which can read the local administrator password of the Domain Controller itself — root.txt and de-facto Domain Admin. The common thread: secrets reachable by whoever shouldn't be able to see them.

PlatformHack The Box
Operating systemWindows Server 2019 (Build 17763)
DifficultyEasy
StatusRetired
Target IP10.129.227.113

Attack map

[SMB/guest] \\Shares\Dev -> winrm_backup.zip
   |  two encrypted layers: zip (John -> supremelegacy) + .pfx (John -> thuglegacy)
   v
[cert legacyy] WinRM/SSL :5986 (evil-winrm -S -c -k) -> user.txt
   |
   v
[PSReadLine] ConsoleHost_history.txt -> svc_deploy : E3R$Q62^12p7PLlC%KWaxuaV
   |
   v
[LDAP] svc_deploy in LAPS_Readers -> ms-Mcs-AdmPwd of DC01
   |
   v
[ROOT] Administrator (LAPS) -> root.txt + DCSync confirms the NT hash

1. Reconnaissance

sudo nmap -p- --min-rate 3000 -T4 -Pn -oN nmap-allports.txt 10.129.227.113
sudo nmap -p53,88,135,139,389,445,464,593,636,3268,5986,9389 -sCV -Pn -oN nmap-services.txt 10.129.227.113

A TTL of 127 confirms a Windows stack. The port spread — 53/88/389/445/464/636/3268/9389 — is the unmistakable signature of a Domain Controller: DNS, Kerberos, LDAP/LDAPS, SMB, kpasswd, Global Catalog and the AD DS web service. What stands out is that the exposed WinRM port is 5986 (HTTPS) instead of the usual 5985 (HTTP), with a CN=dc01.timelapse.htb certificate in the TLS handshake — already pointing at client certificate authentication instead of username/password.

echo "10.129.227.113 timelapse.htb dc01.timelapse.htb DC01" | sudo tee -a /etc/hosts
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