New GPOHound Tool Uncovers Privilege Escalation Paths in Active Directory GPOs

Security researchers have released GPOHound, an open-source tool that identifies misconfigured Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in Active Directory environments, uncovering hidden privilege escalation risks.

Developed by cybersecurity firm Cogiceo, the tool streamlines the detection of vulnerabilities like exposed credentials, insecure registry settings, and improper group memberships that attackers exploit for lateral movement.

Key Features and Capabilities

GPOHound bridges critical gaps in GPO auditing through:

1. Automated GPO Analysis

• Converts raw GPO data into structured JSON or tree formats for easy review.
• Identifies users added to high-risk local groups (e.g., Administrators, Backup Operators).
• Detects spoofable variables like %ComputerName% in membership rules.

2. BloodHound Integration
Enriches BloodHound’s Neo4j database with:

• New edges (e.g., AdminTo, CanRDP) for visualizing attack paths.
• Node properties like smbSigningEnabled: false to highlight insecure protocols.

3. Credential Decryption
Decrypts stored credentials from:

• Legacy protocols (VNC, FileZilla).
• Group Policy Preferences (GPP).

Installation and Usage

bash# Install via pipx
pipx install "git+https://github.com/cogiceo/GPOHound"

# Extract SYSVOL via SMB
smbclient -U "user%pass" //DC_IP/SYSVOL -c "recurse; mget *"

Sample Commands

bash# Dump GPOs to JSON
gpohound dump --json

# Analyze local group memberships
gpohound analysis --processed --object group

# Enrich BloodHound data
gpohound analysis --enrich

Why GPOHound Matters

Active Directory GPOs often contain overlooked settings that attackers exploit to:

• Disable security controls like antivirus software.
• Create malicious scheduled tasks for malware deployment.
• Escalate privileges using built-in Windows tools.

By automating GPO analysis, GPOHound helps organizations preemptively address these risks.

The tool’s integration with BloodHound further enables defenders to visualize attack paths combining GPO misconfigurations and traditional Active Directory vulnerabilities

GPOHound fills a critical niche in enterprise security, providing both red and blue teams with actionable insights to harden Active Directory environments.

Its open-source availability ensures widespread accessibility, while its focus on privilege escalation paths addresses one of the most persistent threats in modern networks.

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