Windows Gather Enum User MUICache - Metasploit


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

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Module Overview

Name: Windows Gather Enum User MUICache
Module: post/windows/gather/enum_muicache
Source code: modules/post/windows/gather/enum_muicache.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 gathers information about the files and file paths that logged on users have executed on the system. It also will check if the file still exists on the system. This information is gathered by using information stored under the MUICache registry key. If the user is logged in when the module is executed it will collect the MUICache entries by accessing the registry directly. If the user is not logged in the module will download users registry hive NTUSER.DAT/UsrClass.dat from the system and the MUICache contents are parsed from the downloaded hive.

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/enum_muicache

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/enum_muicache
msf post(enum_muicache) > show options
    ... show and set options ...
msf post(enum_muicache) > set SESSION session-id
msf post(enum_muicache) > 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/enum_muicache")
  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/enum_muicache post exploitation module looks in the msfconsole:

msf6 > use post/windows/gather/enum_muicache

msf6 post(windows/gather/enum_muicache) > show info

       Name: Windows Gather Enum User MUICache
     Module: post/windows/gather/enum_muicache
   Platform: Windows
       Arch: 
       Rank: Normal

Provided by:
  TJ Glad <[email protected]>

Compatible session types:

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

Description:
  This module gathers information about the files and file paths that 
  logged on users have executed on the system. It also will check if 
  the file still exists on the system. This information is gathered by 
  using information stored under the MUICache registry key. If the 
  user is logged in when the module is executed it will collect the 
  MUICache entries by accessing the registry directly. If the user is 
  not logged in the module will download users registry hive 
  NTUSER.DAT/UsrClass.dat from the system and the MUICache contents 
  are parsed from the downloaded hive.

Module Options

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

msf6 post(windows/gather/enum_muicache) > show options

Module options (post/windows/gather/enum_muicache):

   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/enum_muicache post exploitation module:

msf6 post(windows/gather/enum_muicache) > show advanced

Module advanced options (post/windows/gather/enum_muicache):

   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/enum_muicache module can do:

msf6 post(windows/gather/enum_muicache) > show actions

Post actions:

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

Evasion Options

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

msf6 post(windows/gather/enum_muicache) > 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.

Unable to access ProfileList registry key. Unable to continue.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to access ProfileList registry key. Unable to continue." error message:

41:	    user_sids = []
42:	
43:	    username_reg_path = "HKLM\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\ NT\\CurrentVersion\\ProfileList"
44:	    profile_subkeys = registry_enumkeys(username_reg_path)
45:	    if profile_subkeys.blank?
46:	      print_error("Unable to access ProfileList registry key. Unable to continue.")
47:	      return nil
48:	    end
49:	
50:	    profile_subkeys.each do |user_sid|
51:	      unless user_sid.length > 10

Unable to read ProfileImagePath from the registry. Unable to continue.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to read ProfileImagePath from the registry. Unable to continue." error message:

52:	        next
53:	      end
54:	
55:	      user_home_path = registry_getvaldata("#{username_reg_path}\\#{user_sid}", "ProfileImagePath")
56:	      if user_home_path.blank?
57:	        print_error("Unable to read ProfileImagePath from the registry. Unable to continue.")
58:	        return nil
59:	      end
60:	      full_path = user_home_path.strip
61:	      user_names << full_path.split("\\").last
62:	      user_homedir_paths << full_path

User <USER>: Can't access registry. Maybe the user is not logged in? Trying NTUSER.DAT/USRCLASS.DAT...

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "User <USER>: Can't access registry. Maybe the user is not logged in? Trying NTUSER.DAT/USRCLASS.DAT..." error message:

92:	      subkeys = registry_enumvals(reg_key)
93:	      if subkeys.blank?
94:	        # If the registry_enumvals returns us nothing then we'll know
95:	        # that the user is most likely not logged in and we'll need to
96:	        # download and process users hive locally.
97:	        print_warning("User #{user}: Can't access registry. Maybe the user is not logged in? Trying NTUSER.DAT/USRCLASS.DAT...")
98:	        result = process_hive(sys_path, user, muicache, hive_file)
99:	        unless result.nil?
100:	          result.each { |r|
101:	            results << r unless r.nil?
102:	          }

Couldn't locate/download <USER>'s registry hive. Unable to proceed.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Couldn't locate/download <USER>'s registry hive. Unable to proceed." error message:

140:	    user_home_path = expand_path(sys_path)
141:	    hive_path = user_home_path + hive_file
142:	    ntuser_status = file_exist?(hive_path)
143:	
144:	    unless ntuser_status == true
145:	      print_warning("Couldn't locate/download #{user}'s registry hive. Unable to proceed.")
146:	      return nil
147:	    end
148:	
149:	    print_status("Downloading #{user}'s NTUSER.DAT/USRCLASS.DAT file...")
150:	    local_hive_copy = Rex::Quickfile.new("jtrtmp")

Unable to download NTUSER.DAT/USRCLASS.DAT file

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unable to download NTUSER.DAT/USRCLASS.DAT file" error message:

150:	    local_hive_copy = Rex::Quickfile.new("jtrtmp")
151:	    local_hive_copy.close
152:	    begin
153:	      session.fs.file.download_file(local_hive_copy.path, hive_path)
154:	    rescue ::Rex::Post::Meterpreter::RequestError
155:	      print_error("Unable to download NTUSER.DAT/USRCLASS.DAT file")
156:	      local_hive_copy.unlink rescue nil
157:	      return nil
158:	    end
159:	    results = hive_parser(local_hive_copy.path, muicache, user)
160:	    local_hive_copy.unlink rescue nil # Windows often complains about unlinking tempfiles

Error parsing hive. Unable to continue.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Error parsing hive. Unable to continue." error message:

165:	  # This function is responsible for parsing the downloaded hive and
166:	  # extracting the contents of the MUICache registry key.
167:	  def hive_parser(local_hive_copy, muicache, user)
168:	    results = []
169:	    print_status("Parsing registry content...")
170:	    err_msg = "Error parsing hive. Unable to continue."
171:	    hive = Rex::Registry::Hive.new(local_hive_copy)
172:	    if hive.nil?
173:	      print_error(err_msg)
174:	      return nil
175:	    end

Unsupported OS or not enough privileges. Unable to continue.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Unsupported OS or not enough privileges. Unable to continue." error message:

220:	    elsif sys_info =~ /Windows 7/ && is_admin?
221:	      print_good("Remote system supported: #{sys_info}")
222:	      muicache = "_Classes\\Local\ Settings\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Shell\\MUICache"
223:	      hive_file = "\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Windows\\UsrClass.dat"
224:	    else
225:	      print_error("Unsupported OS or not enough privileges. Unable to continue.")
226:	      return nil
227:	    end
228:	
229:	    table = Rex::Text::Table.new(
230:	      'Header' => 'MUICache Information',

Was not able to find any user accounts. Unable to continue.

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Was not able to find any user accounts. Unable to continue." error message:

239:	
240:	    print_status("Phase 1: Searching user names...")
241:	    sys_users, sys_paths, sys_sids = find_user_names
242:	
243:	    if sys_users.blank?
244:	      print_error("Was not able to find any user accounts. Unable to continue.")
245:	      return nil
246:	    else
247:	      print_good("Users found: #{sys_users.join(", ")}")
248:	    end
249:

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See Also

Check also the following modules related to this module:

Authors

  • TJ Glad <tjglad[at]cmail.nu>

Version

This page has been produced using Metasploit Framework version 6.1.41-dev. For more modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

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