The answer is a Golden Ticket attack. This is correct because the tester has obtained the krbtgt hash, which is the secret key used by the domain controller’s Key Distribution Center to sign all Ticket Granting Tickets. With this hash, an attacker can forge a TGT for any user, such as a domain administrator, and set an arbitrarily long validity period, enabling persistent access to any resource in the domain without ever needing to contact the domain controller again. On the CompTIA PenTest+ PT0-002 exam, this question tests your understanding of post-exploitation persistence and Kerberos abuse; a common trap is confusing it with a Silver Ticket attack, which forges service tickets instead of TGTs. Remember: the Golden Ticket grants the keys to the entire kingdom, while a Silver Ticket only unlocks a single door.
PT0-002 Attacks and Exploits Practice Question
This PT0-002 practice question tests your understanding of attacks and exploits. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A penetration tester has obtained a TGT from a domain controller by cracking the krbtgt hash. Which attack can the tester now perform to gain persistent administrative access to any resource in the domain?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Golden Ticket
A Golden Ticket attack is the correct answer because the tester has cracked the krbtgt hash, which is the key used by the Key Distribution Center (KDC) to sign all Ticket Granting Tickets (TGTs). With this hash, the tester can forge a TGT for any user (including a domain admin) with an arbitrary long validity period, granting persistent administrative access to any resource in the domain without needing to interact with the domain controller again.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Pass-the-Hash
Why it's wrong here
Pass-the-Hash uses NTLM hashes for authentication, not Kerberos TGTs, and does not provide the same level of persistence.
✗
Silver Ticket
Why it's wrong here
A Silver Ticket forges a service ticket (TGS) for a specific service, but requires the service account's hash, not the krbtgt hash.
✓
Golden Ticket
Why this is correct
With the krbtgt hash, an attacker can create a Golden Ticket—a forged TGT that allows impersonation of any user for any service in the domain.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
DCSync
Why it's wrong here
DCSync replicates credentials from a domain controller but requires domain admin privileges and does not directly use a krbtgt hash.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the scope of a Silver Ticket (limited to a single service) with a Golden Ticket (full domain compromise), often picking Silver Ticket because they think 'service ticket' sounds broader, but the krbtgt hash specifically enables TGT forgery, not service ticket forgery.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a Golden Ticket works by forging a TGT with the KRBTGT account's NTLM hash (derived from the password of the krbtgt account). The forged TGT includes arbitrary claims (e.g., group memberships like Domain Admins) and a long expiration time, bypassing normal Kerberos validation because the KDC trusts any TGT signed with the krbtgt key. In real-world scenarios, this attack is often executed using Mimikatz's 'kerberos::golden' command, and it remains effective until the krbtgt password is changed twice (since the domain maintains two password history values).
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PT0-002 question in full detail.
Attacks and Exploits — This question tests Attacks and Exploits — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Golden Ticket — A Golden Ticket attack is the correct answer because the tester has cracked the krbtgt hash, which is the key used by the Key Distribution Center (KDC) to sign all Ticket Granting Tickets (TGTs). With this hash, the tester can forge a TGT for any user (including a domain admin) with an arbitrary long validity period, granting persistent administrative access to any resource in the domain without needing to interact with the domain controller again.
What should I do if I get this PT0-002 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This PT0-002 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PT0-002 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.