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Security42k · #4743

competition-windows-pivot

Helps your agent understand and trace movements in Windows networks. It analyzes Kerberos, WinRM, SMB, RDP, and how credentials and tickets are used for privilege escalation.

What it does

This tool helps understand how an attacker moved between computers on a network by tracking the use of stolen passwords, tickets, and other secrets. It reconstructs the 'attack chain' to show how one access led to another.

When to use it

  • ✓When you need to see how an attacker jumped from one computer to another.
  • ✓When you want to know which service accepted a stolen password or ticket.
  • ✓To understand how privileges were moved between machines.

Example of what to ask your AI

“Show how the attacker moved from 'web-server-01' to 'db-server-01' using the stolen Kerberos ticket.”

Want more? Open the sections below.

How to use

The easiest way: copy the message below and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any AI. It reads the skill and follows the instructions.

Skill link

https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-windows-pivot/SKILL.md

Ready-to-paste message

Use this skill to help me: https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-windows-pivot/SKILL.md Read the SKILL.md file at that link and follow its instructions for my task.
How it works

The tool examines traces left on the system (like logs and files) to find passwords, tickets, and other information. It then maps the exact path the attacker took, noting each step and the service that was used.

Installation

Easiest way: copy the skill link and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor asking it to follow the instructions.

In the terminal (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor), in your project folder:

npx skills add zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill --skill competition-windows-pivot

Or download just the file:

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-windows-pivot/SKILL.md -o SKILL.md
Technical content (original SKILL.md)

Original text by the author, straight from GitHub.

Competition Windows Pivot

Use this skill only as a downstream specialization after $ctf-sandbox-orchestrator is already active and has established sandbox assumptions, node ownership, and evidence priorities. If that has not happened yet, return to $ctf-sandbox-orchestrator first.

Use this skill when the challenge path is dominated by host-to-host movement, replayable ticket material, or Windows privilege edges.

Reply in Simplified Chinese unless the user explicitly requests English.

Quick Start

  1. Compress the pivot into a concrete chain: foothold -> recovered artifact -> replay path -> pivot host -> resulting capability.
  2. Separate stored credential material from usable privilege.
  3. Keep host evidence, ticket evidence, and privilege effect on one timeline.
  4. Record the exact accepting service or host for every replayed artifact.
  5. Reproduce the smallest pivot that still proves the privilege edge.

Workflow

1. Recover The Replay Material

  • Inspect SAM, SECURITY, SYSTEM, NTDS, DPAPI, LSA secrets, browser stores, PowerShell history, ETW, Sysmon, and event logs in the active path.
  • Distinguish password, hash, ticket, cookie, vault blob, or gMSA material by where it can actually be used.

2. Trace The Pivot Chain

  • Map the protocol actually used: WinRM, SMB, RDP, WMI, admin shares, remote registry, or service control.
  • When Kerberos matters, record SPN, delegation, PAC or group data, encryption type, and the accepting service.
  • When AD edges matter, inspect ACLs, GPO links, SIDHistory, delegation, certificate templates, and replication rights.

3. Report The Edge

  • Keep the pivot path concrete and replayable.
  • State what artifact crossed which boundary and what capability appeared on the destination host.

Read This Reference

  • Load references/windows-pivot.md for the pivot checklist, Kerberos evidence block, and common replay mistakes.
  • If the task is specifically about DPAPI masterkeys, browser or vault stores, protected blobs, or proving where a recovered DPAPI secret is accepted, prefer $competition-dpapi-credential-chain.
  • If the task is specifically about LSASS memory, ticket caches, replayable session material, or host-resident credential extraction, prefer $competition-lsass-ticket-material.
  • If the task is specifically about delegation edges, SPN trust, S4U flow, or which service accepts the delegated ticket, prefer $competition-kerberos-delegation.
  • If the hard part is forced authentication, coercion primitives, relay targets, or the service that accepts relayed auth, prefer $competition-relay-coercion-chain.

What To Preserve

  • Host names, logon IDs, SIDs, SPNs, ticket fields, service names, and event IDs
  • Exact replay point and resulting logon session, token, or group change
  • Raw host artifacts and derived timeline separately
FAQ

What is a 'pivot'?

It's like a foothold or a jump. In security, it's when an attacker uses a compromised computer to attack other computers on the network.

What are 'Kerberos tickets'?

They are like temporary access passes used in Windows networks to prove a user's identity to a service without needing the password every time.

What does 'credential material' mean?

It's information like passwords, password hashes, access tickets, or cookies that can be used to impersonate a user or service.

Details

Original description by the author

Internal downstream skill for ctf-sandbox-orchestrator. CTF-sandbox workflow for Kerberos, WinRM, SMB, RDP, Windows credential material, replayable tickets, delegation edges, and host-to-host pivot chains. Use when the user asks to replay Kerberos material, trace a WinRM, SMB, or RDP pivot, understand host-to-host privilege movement, or prove which Windows service accepted a credential or ticket.

repo: zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill

Popularity

GitHub stars
42k
Ranking position
#4743
License
MIT
Updated
9/22/2026

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