CPENT Active Directory Attacks Practice Question
Which THREE methods or attack primitives can be used to achieve domain escalation when an attacker has compromised an account with 'GenericAll' permissions over a Group Policy Object (GPO)?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Adding a startup script or service configuration within the GPO file share path in SYSVOL
GPO abuse with GenericAll permissions allows modifying startup/shutdown scripts, injecting immediate tasks via Group Policy Preferences, or modifying registry.xml files containing credentials.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Adding a startup script or service configuration within the GPO file share path in SYSVOL
Why this is correct
GPO control permits writing computer startup or user logon scripts to SYSVOL.
- ✓
Creating restricted local user accounts or modifying local administrator groups across target OUs via GPO settings
Why this is correct
GPOs can enforce local group membership changes across all targeted machines.
- ✗
Modifying the KRBTGT account password directly through Group Policy settings
Why it's wrong here
KRBTGT password management is handled via account management tools, not GPO settings.
- ✓
Injecting immediate scheduled tasks into the GPO via Group Policy Preferences (GPP)
Why this is correct
Modifying GPO files allows deploying scheduled tasks that execute payloads on all linked computers.
- ✗
Directly modifying the NTDS.dit database via unauthenticated LDAP write operations
Why it's wrong here
NTDS.dit cannot be edited via standard LDAP write operations.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every CPENT question from scratch — 276 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CPENT practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CPENT exam.