Active Directory credential abuse is rarely a single technique. It is a pipeline.
This book is a standalone, operator-grade field manual that explains how credentials are actually captured, transformed, and weaponized in real Active Directory environments.
Instead of cataloging tools or repeating common checklists, it focuses on decision-making under real constraints: when NTLM relay is viable, when cracking is worth the cost, when Kerberos tickets outperform passwords, and when patience beats speed.
Covered in depth:
• NTLM capture, cracking, relay, and delayed reuse
• Authentication coercion as an intentional pipeline step
• Kerberos-only workflows using tickets, keys, and delegation
• Kerberoasting and AS-REP roasting as economic problems
• AD CS abuse and certificates as password equivalents
• Post-foothold credential extraction with realistic OPSEC trade-offs
• Failure modes, stop conditions, and detection considerations
Every scenario is self-contained, includes realistic commands and outputs, and explains why a technique succeeds or fails, not just how to execute it.
Written primarily from a red-team perspective, this book is equally valuable for defenders who want to understand attacker constraints rather than idealized attack graphs.
This is not a beginner’s guide.
It assumes familiarity with Active Directory and focuses on how credential attacks actually unfold when defenses exist.
