[**Learn about some possible credentials protections here.**](credentials-protections.md) **This protections could prevent Mimikatz from extracting some credentials.**
Use the [**Credentials Plugin**](https://github.com/carlospolop/MSF-Credentials) **that** I have created to **search for passwords and hashes** inside the victim.
As **Procdump from** [**SysInternals** ](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/sysinternals-suite)**is a legitimate Microsoft tool**, it's not detected by Defender. \
You can use this tool to **dump the lsass process**, **download the dump** and **extract** the **credentials locally** from the dump.
**Note**: Some **AV** may **detect** as **malicious** the use of **procdump.exe to dump lsass.exe**, this is because they are **detecting** the string **"procdump.exe" and "lsass.exe"**. So it is **stealthier** to **pass** as an **argument** the **PID** of lsass.exe to procdump **instead o**f the **name lsass.exe.**
There’s a DLL called **comsvcs.dll**, located in `C:\Windows\System32` that **dumps process memory** whenever they **crash**. This DLL contains a **function** called **`MiniDumpW`** that is written so it can be called with `rundll32.exe`.\
The first two arguments are not used, but the third one is split into 3 parts. First part is the process ID that will be dumped, second part is the dump file location, and third part is the word **full**. There is no other choice.\
Once these 3 arguments has been parsed, basically this DLL creates the dump file, and dumps the specified process into that dump file.\
Thanks to this function, we can use **comsvcs.dll** to dump lsass process instead of uploading procdump and executing it. (This information was extracted from [https://en.hackndo.com/remote-lsass-dump-passwords/](https://en.hackndo.com/remote-lsass-dump-passwords/))
This files should be **located** in _C:\windows\system32\config\SAM_ and _C:\windows\system32\config\SYSTEM._ But **you cannot just copy them in a regular way** because they protected.
But you can do the same from **Powershell**. This is an example of **how to copy the SAM file** (the hard drive used is "C:" and its saved to C:\users\Public) but you can use this for copying any protected file:
Code from the book: [https://0xword.com/es/libros/99-hacking-windows-ataques-a-sistemas-y-redes-microsoft.html](https://0xword.com/es/libros/99-hacking-windows-ataques-a-sistemas-y-redes-microsoft.html)
### Invoke-NinjaCopy
Finally, you could also use the [**PS script Invoke-NinjaCopy**](https://github.com/PowerShellMafia/PowerSploit/blob/master/Exfiltration/Invoke-NinjaCopy.ps1) to make a copy of SAM, SYSTEM and ntds.dit.
**The Ntds.dit file is a database that stores Active Directory data**, including information about user objects, groups, and group membership. It includes the password hashes for all users in the domain.
* **SD Table**: Contains the security descriptors of each object
More information about this: [http://blogs.chrisse.se/2012/02/11/how-the-active-directory-data-store-really-works-inside-ntds-dit-part-1/](http://blogs.chrisse.se/2012/02/11/how-the-active-directory-data-store-really-works-inside-ntds-dit-part-1/)
Windows uses _Ntdsa.dll_ to interact with that file and its used by _lsass.exe_. Then, **part** of the **NTDS.dit** file could be located **inside the **_**lsass**_** memory** (you can find the lastet accessed data probably because of the performance impruve by using a **cache**).
**PEK** have the **same value** in **every domain controller**, but it is **cyphered** inside the **NTDS.dit** file using the **BOOTKEY** of the **SYSTEM file of the domain controller (is different between domain controllers)**. This is why to get the credentials from the NTDS.dit file **you need the files NTDS.dit and SYSTEM** (_C:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM_).
You could also use the [**volume shadow copy**](./#stealing-sam-and-system) trick to copy the **ntds.dit** file. Remember that you will also need a copy of the **SYSTEM file** (again, [**dump it from the registry or use the volume shadow copy**](./#stealing-sam-and-system) trick).
Download the binary from [here](https://github.com/AlessandroZ/LaZagne/releases). you can use this binary to extract credentials from several software.
This tool can be used to extract credentials from the memory. Download it from: [http://www.ampliasecurity.com/research/windows-credentials-editor/](https://www.ampliasecurity.com/research/windows-credentials-editor/)
Download it from:[ http://www.tarasco.org/security/pwdump\_7](http://www.tarasco.org/security/pwdump\_7) and just **execute it** and the passwords will be extracted.