<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
---
name: implementing-lateral-movement-emulation
description: >-
  Emulate lateral movement techniques used by adversaries to traverse networks
  after initial compromise, testing detection of remote service exploitation,
  credential reuse, and inter-system pivoting across trust boundaries.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: adversary-simulation
tags:
  - lateral-movement
  - pivoting
  - credential-reuse
  - remote-services
  - network-propagation
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1021.001", "T1021.002", "T1021.004", "T1021.006", "T1550.002"]
  frameworks: ["MITRE ATT&CK"]
  tools: ["python3", "impacket", "crackmapexec"]
---

# Implementing Lateral Movement Emulation

## Overview

Lateral movement emulation tests whether defenders can detect adversaries
traversing the network after establishing an initial foothold. Techniques
include remote desktop, SMB/Windows admin shares, WMI execution, SSH pivoting,
and pass-the-hash/ticket attacks mapped to MITRE ATT&CK Lateral Movement tactic.

## Prerequisites

| Tool / Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| `python3` | Security tooling |
| `Impacket` | Security tooling |
| `CrackMapExec (or NetExec)` | Security tooling |
| Valid test credentials with appropriate access levels | Environment requirement |
| Network segmentation map and target system inventory | Environment requirement |
| Monitoring enabled on authentication and remote access logs | Environment requirement |

## Workflow

### Step 1: Enumerate Lateral Movement Paths

```bash
# Discover reachable systems and open services
node scripts/agent.js enumerate --subnet "10.0.1.0/24" --ports "22,135,445,3389,5985"

# Map credential access paths
node scripts/agent.js map-paths --credentials creds.json --targets targets.json
```

### Step 2: Emulate Remote Service Access

```bash
# SMB lateral movement (T1021.002)
# crackmapexec smb 10.0.1.50 -u testuser -p 'TestPass123' -x whoami

# WinRM lateral movement (T1021.006)
# evil-winrm -i 10.0.1.50 -u testuser -p 'TestPass123'

# SSH pivoting (T1021.004)
# ssh -L 8080:internal-host:80 testuser@10.0.1.50

# Log all movement attempts
node scripts/agent.js log-movement --technique T1021.002 --source WS01 --target SRV01
```

### Step 3: Pass-the-Hash / Pass-the-Ticket

```bash
# Emulate credential material reuse (T1550.002)
# impacket-psexec -hashes :NTHASH testuser@10.0.1.50

# Test detection of NTLM relay
node scripts/agent.js test-pth --target "10.0.1.50" --mode dry-run
```

### Step 4: Validate Detection

```bash
# Check for lateral movement detection alerts
node scripts/agent.js check-detection --technique T1021.002 --timeframe "1h"

# Generate lateral movement report
node scripts/agent.js report --execution-log lateral.json
```

## Detection

```yaml
title: Lateral Movement Emulation Detection
id: 2104289f-b3dc-424d-8b13-ae94c438fc2b
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious activity related to implementing lateral movement emulation techniques in adversary simulation context
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine: "*implementing*lateral*"
  condition: selection
level: high
tags:
  - attack.t1021.001
  - attack.t1021.002
  - attack.t1021.004
  - attack.t1021.006
  - attack.t1550.002
  - attack.execution
falsepositives:
  - Authorized red team exercises during approved testing windows
```


**Detection Opportunities**

| Indicator | Source | Detection Logic |
|---|---|---|
| Lateral Movement Emulation Detection | windows/process_creation | Sigma rule (high) |
| ATT&CK Coverage | MITRE ATT&CK | T1021.001, T1021.002, T1021.004, T1021.006, T1550.002 |

## Verification

- [ ] All target lateral movement techniques attempted
- [ ] Authentication events logged for each movement
- [ ] Detection rules triggered for credential reuse
- [ ] Network segmentation boundaries validated
- [ ] Anomalous logon patterns detected by SIEM

## References

- [Impacket](https://github.com/fortra/impacket) — Network protocol tools
- [MITRE ATT&CK Lateral Movement](https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0008/) — Technique catalog
