hunting-for-dcsync-attacks▌
mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills · updated May 25, 2026
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Detect DCSync attacks by analyzing Windows Event ID 4662 for unauthorized DS-Replication-Get-Changes requests from non-domain-controller accounts.
| name | hunting-for-dcsync-attacks |
| description | Detect DCSync attacks by analyzing Windows Event ID 4662 for unauthorized DS-Replication-Get-Changes requests from non-domain-controller accounts. |
| domain | cybersecurity |
| subdomain | threat-hunting |
| tags | - threat-hunting - dcsync - active-directory - credential-access - t1003.006 - mimikatz - windows - dfir |
| version | '1.0' |
| author | mahipal |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| d3fend_techniques | - Application Protocol Command Analysis - Network Isolation - Network Traffic Analysis - Client-server Payload Profiling - Platform Monitoring |
| nist_csf | - DE.CM-01 - DE.AE-02 - DE.AE-07 - ID.RA-05 |
Hunting for DCSync Attacks
When to Use
- When hunting for DCSync credential theft (MITRE ATT&CK T1003.006)
- After detecting Mimikatz or similar tools in the environment
- During incident response involving Active Directory compromise
- When monitoring for unauthorized domain replication requests
- During purple team exercises testing AD attack detection
Prerequisites
- Windows Security Event Log forwarding enabled (Event ID 4662)
- Audit Directory Service Access enabled via Group Policy
- Domain Computers SACL configured on Domain Object for machine account detection
- SIEM with Windows event data ingested (Splunk, Elastic, Sentinel)
- Knowledge of legitimate domain controller accounts and replication partners
Workflow
- Enable Auditing: Ensure Audit Directory Service Access is enabled on domain controllers.
- Collect Events: Gather Windows Event ID 4662 with AccessMask 0x100 (Control Access).
- Filter Replication GUIDs: Search for DS-Replication-Get-Changes and DS-Replication-Get-Changes-All.
- Identify Non-DC Sources: Flag events where SubjectUserName is not a domain controller machine account.
- Correlate with Network: Cross-reference source IPs against known DC addresses.
- Validate Findings: Exclude legitimate replication tools (Azure AD Connect, SCCM).
- Respond: Disable compromised accounts, reset krbtgt, investigate lateral movement.
Key Concepts
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| DCSync | Technique abusing AD replication protocol to extract password hashes |
| Event ID 4662 | Directory Service Access audit event |
| DS-Replication-Get-Changes | GUID 1131f6aa-9c07-11d1-f79f-00c04fc2dcd2 |
| DS-Replication-Get-Changes-All | GUID 1131f6ad-9c07-11d1-f79f-00c04fc2dcd2 |
| AccessMask 0x100 | Control Access right indicating extended rights verification |
| T1003.006 | OS Credential Dumping: DCSync |
Tools & Systems
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Windows Event Viewer | Direct event log analysis |
| Splunk | SIEM correlation of Event 4662 |
| Elastic Security | Detection rules for DCSync patterns |
| Mimikatz lsadump::dcsync | Attack tool used to perform DCSync |
| Impacket secretsdump.py | Python-based DCSync implementation |
| BloodHound | Identify accounts with replication rights |
Output Format
Hunt ID: TH-DCSYNC-[DATE]-[SEQ]
Technique: T1003.006
Domain Controller: [DC hostname]
Subject Account: [Account performing replication]
Source IP: [Non-DC IP address]
GUID Accessed: [Replication GUID]
Risk Level: [Critical/High/Medium/Low]
Recommended Action: [Disable account, reset krbtgt, investigate]
How to use hunting-for-dcsync-attacks on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version) - ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add hunting-for-dcsync-attacks
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches hunting-for-dcsync-attacks from GitHub repository mukul975/Anthropic-Cybersecurity-Skills and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate hunting-for-dcsync-attacks. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /hunting-for-dcsync-attacks) or your agent's skill management interface.
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
List & Monetize Your Skill
Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning
Use Cases▌
Task Automation & Efficiency
Automate repetitive workflows and reduce manual effort
Example
Generate reports, summarize documents, draft communications
Save 3-5 hours per week on routine tasks
Knowledge Enhancement
Learn new skills, understand complex topics, get expert guidance
Example
Explain concepts, provide examples, suggest learning resources
Accelerate learning and skill development by 2x
Quality Improvement
Enhance output quality through reviews, suggestions, and refinements
Example
Review drafts, suggest improvements, catch errors
Improve work quality by 30-40% with less effort
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client with skill support
- ›Clear understanding of task or problem to solve
- ›Willingness to iterate and refine outputs
Time Estimate
15-45 minutes depending on use case complexity
Installation Steps
- 1.Install skill using provided installation command
- 2.Test with simple use case relevant to your work
- 3.Evaluate output quality and relevance
- 4.Iterate on prompts to improve results
- 5.Integrate into regular workflow if valuable
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Expecting perfect results without iteration
- ⚠Not providing enough context in prompts
- ⚠Using skill for tasks outside its intended scope
- ⚠Accepting outputs without review and validation
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Start with clear, specific prompts
- +Provide relevant context and constraints
- +Review and refine all outputs before using
- +Iterate to improve output quality
- +Document successful prompt patterns
✗ Don't
- −Don't use without understanding skill limitations
- −Don't skip validation of outputs
- −Don't share sensitive information in prompts
- −Don't expect skill to replace human judgment
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Be specific about desired format and style
- ★Ask for multiple options to choose from
- ★Request explanations to understand reasoning
- ★Combine AI efficiency with human expertise
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use when skill capabilities match your task, clear ROI on time saved, and you can validate outputs. Best for repetitive tasks, learning, and quality improvement.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid when task requires deep expertise you can't validate, involves sensitive decisions, or when learning process is more valuable than speed of completion.
Learning Path▌
- 1Familiarize yourself with skill capabilities and limitations
- 2Start with low-risk, non-critical tasks
- 3Progress to more complex and valuable use cases
- 4Build expertise through regular use and experimentation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.7★★★★★71 reviews- ★★★★★Kwame Zhang· Dec 24, 2024
hunting-for-dcsync-attacks has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Dec 20, 2024
We added hunting-for-dcsync-attacks from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Kwame Chen· Dec 20, 2024
hunting-for-dcsync-attacks has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Emma Tandon· Dec 16, 2024
I recommend hunting-for-dcsync-attacks for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.
- ★★★★★Mia Farah· Dec 12, 2024
Useful defaults in hunting-for-dcsync-attacks — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★James Li· Dec 8, 2024
hunting-for-dcsync-attacks fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Ama Huang· Nov 27, 2024
Registry listing for hunting-for-dcsync-attacks matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.
- ★★★★★Omar Kapoor· Nov 15, 2024
hunting-for-dcsync-attacks reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Kabir Choi· Nov 15, 2024
We added hunting-for-dcsync-attacks from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Ama Ghosh· Nov 11, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: hunting-for-dcsync-attacks is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
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