CPENT Practice Question: Privilege Escalation Lateral Movement And Post Exploitation
During post-exploitation enumeration on a Windows system, a penetration tester discovers that credentials for a domain administrator were accidentally left in a plaintext file. To prepare for lateral movement and domain dominance, which TWO actions can the tester perform using these credentials without executing a full DCSync attack?
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
✓
Use PsExec or WinRM with the valid credentials to execute commands interactively on domain-joined member servers
With Domain Administrator credentials, an attacker can generate a Golden Ticket using Mimikatz (requiring the krbtgt hash) or perform a Session Hijacking / PsExec execution to access remote systems. Alternatively, creating a scheduled task or using WinRM are also valid options. A Golden Ticket requires the krbtgt hash, which is obtainable via DCSync, but interactive logon and PsExec/WinRM directly utilize the DA 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.
- ✓
Use PsExec or WinRM with the valid credentials to execute commands interactively on domain-joined member servers
Why this is correct
Correct because domain administrator credentials provide direct administrative access over network protocols to domain member servers.
- ✓
Execute a Pass-the-Ticket attack using harvested Kerberos ticket granting tickets (TGT) from the LSASS cache
Why this is correct
Correct because if the DA was logged in, their TGT can be extracted and used to authenticate elsewhere (Pass-the-Ticket). Alternatively, direct authentication with plaintext credentials achieves the same lateral movement.
- ✗
Modify the Windows Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store to disable PatchGuard on all domain controllers
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because PatchGuard (Kernel Patch Protection) protects 64-bit Windows kernels and cannot be disabled via standard DA network credentials.
- ✗
Change the password of the local Administrator account on a single workstation via SAM-R or RPC
Why it's wrong here
While possible, this does not leverage the DA credentials for domain-wide lateral movement as effectively as PsExec or TGT manipulation, but let's check standard DA capabilities. Actually, creating a new domain user or using existing DA creds for remote management (A) and Kerberos ticket operations (C) are the primary answers.
- ✗
Inject shellcode directly into the Active Directory database file (ntds.dit) while the database is offline
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because modifying the ntds.dit file offline requires direct physical or hypervisor-level access and specialized tooling, not just credentials.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
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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.