Red teaming is a vital aspect of information security, and it plays a crucial role in ensuring that organizations’ networks are adequately secured. However, for red teamers to be effective, they must have access to tools and techniques that can help them find and exploit vulnerabilities in an organization’s network. One such tool is the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC). This article explores how red teamers can leverage WMIC to enumerate systems, extract valuable information, and support post-exploitation activities.

What is WMIC?

Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) is a command-line interface that allows administrators to manage the Windows environment using scripts and tools. It is an interface to WMI, a management technology built into the Windows operating system. WMIC can perform various administrative tasks, including querying system information, executing remote commands, and setting system configurations.

WMIC is a powerful tool that provides red teamers access to critical system information and configurations. Red teamers can use this information to identify vulnerabilities, execute commands, and modify system configurations. Moreover, WMIC allows red teamers to perform these tasks remotely, which means they can exploit vulnerabilities from a distance, making it an ideal tool for red teaming.

Using WMIC for Red Teaming

To use WMIC effectively for red teaming, red teamers must first understand the tool’s syntax and how it works. The syntax for WMIC is as follows:

WMIC [global switches] [command [arguments]]

The global switches are options that apply to all WMIC commands, while the command and arguments are specific to the particular command being executed.

Below are some of the most useful WMIC commands for red teaming:

wmic process list brief

This command displays a list of running processes on the target system. Red teamers can use this information to identify processes that may be vulnerable to exploitation. For example, if a process is running with elevated privileges, they can use this information to determine whether they can exploit the process to gain access to the target system.

wmic useraccount list full

This command displays a list of user accounts on the target system, including information about each account, such as the account name, password status, and account type. Red teamers can use this information to identify user accounts with weak passwords, which can be exploited to gain access to the target system.

wmic logicaldisk list brief

This command displays a list of logical disks on the target system, including information about each disk, such as its name, drive type, and file system. Red teamers can use this information to identify disks that may contain sensitive data or other exploitable information.

wmic service list brief

This command displays a list of services on the target system, including information about each service, such as its name, service status, and startup type. Red teamers can use this information to identify services that may be vulnerable to exploitation.

wmic share list brief

This command displays a list of shares on the target system, including information about each share, such as the share name, share path, and share type. Red teamers can use this information to identify shares containing sensitive or exploitable information.

Examples of Using WMIC for Red Teaming

Checking for Running Processes The wmic process list brief command can be used to check for running processes on the target system. For example, the following command can be used to check for the presence of the cmd.exe process:

wmic process where "name='cmd.exe'" list brief

If the cmd.exe process is running, the command’s output will display the process ID, process name, and other information about the process. This approach is more efficient than using find as it filters at the WMI level.

Once the red teamer has identified the process, they can use other tools and techniques to exploit it. For example, they can use a tool like Metasploit to launch a payload that can be used to gain access to the target system.

Enumerating User Accounts

The wmic useraccount list full command can be used to enumerate user accounts on the target system. For example, the following command can be used to display a list of user accounts and their corresponding password statuses:

wmic useraccount where "passwordexpires=false" list full

This command specifically targets user accounts with non-expiring passwords, which are often security risks. If a user account is found to have a weak password, the red teamer can use other tools and techniques to exploit the account and gain access to the target system.

Checking for Logical Disks

The wmic logicaldisk` list brief command can be used to check for logical disks on the target system. For example, the following command can be used to check for the presence of a particular logical disk:

wmic logicaldisk where "drivetype=3" list brief

This command specifically targets fixed disks (drivetype=3), which are more likely to contain sensitive data. If the C: drive is found, the red teamer can use other tools and techniques to explore the drive’s contents and identify sensitive data or exploitable information.

Enumerating Services

The wmic service list brief command can enumerate services on the target system. For example, the following command can be used to display a list of services and their corresponding startup types:

wmic service where "startmode='auto'" list brief

This command specifically targets services with automatic startup, which are often running with elevated privileges. If a service is found to have an auto startup type, the red teamer can use other tools and techniques to exploit the service and gain access to the target system.

Enumerating Shares

The wmic share list brief command can enumerate shares on the target system. For example, the following command can be used to display a list of shares and their corresponding share types:

wmic share where "type=0" list brief

This command specifically targets disk shares (type=0), which are more likely to contain sensitive data. If a share is found to be of type disk, the red teamer can use other tools and techniques to explore its contents and identify sensitive data or other exploitable information.

Additional Tips for Using WMIC

Using WMIC with PowerShell

WMIC can be used with PowerShell to create more complex scripts to automate tasks and help red teamers achieve their objectives more efficiently. For example, the following PowerShell script can be used to enumerate all user accounts on the target system and display their corresponding password statuses:

$accounts = wmic useraccount list full /format:csv
$accounts | ConvertFrom-Csv | Where-Object { $_.PasswordExpires -eq "FALSE" } | ForEach-Object {
    Write-Host "Account: $($_.Name), Password Expires: $($_.PasswordExpires)"
}

This script uses wmic useraccount list full /format:csv to enumerate user accounts and output in CSV format for easier parsing. The script then filters for accounts with non-expiring passwords and displays relevant information.

By using WMIC with PowerShell, red teamers can create more complex scripts to automate tasks and help them achieve their objectives more efficiently.

Using WMIC with Batch Files

WMIC can also be used with batch files to perform more complex tasks. For example, the following batch file can be used to create a backup of a target system’s registry:

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
set "target=192.168.1.100"
set "output=system_info.txt"

echo Collecting system information from %target%...
wmic /node:"%target%" /user:administrator /password:password process list brief > "%output%"
wmic /node:"%target%" /user:administrator /password:password service list brief >> "%output%"
wmic /node:"%target%" /user:administrator /password:password useraccount list brief >> "%output%"

echo System information collected and saved to %output%

This batch file demonstrates remote WMIC usage to collect system information from a target system. It uses the /node switch to specify the remote system and /user and /password for authentication.

By using WMIC with batch files, red teamers can perform more complex tasks and automate repetitive tasks.

Using WMIC with Remote Systems

WMIC can be used to perform administrative tasks on remote systems. For example, the following command can be used to display a list of running processes on a remote system:

wmic /node:"remotesystem" process list brief

This command uses the /node switch to specify the name of the remote system and the wmic process list brief command to display a list of running processes.

By using WMIC with remote systems, red teamers can perform administrative tasks on multiple systems simultaneously and from a distance, effectively exploiting vulnerabilities and gaining access to target systems.

Using WMIC with Filters

WMIC can also be used with filters to narrow down the results of a query. For example, the following command can be used to display a list of running processes that have a specific name:

wmic process where "name='notepad.exe'" list brief

This command uses the where clause to filter the results of the wmic process list brief command only to display processes with the name “notepad.exe.”

By using filters, red teamers can reduce noise and target specific data, improving speed and clarity during reconnaissance.

Error Handling and Security Considerations

When using WMIC for red teaming, it’s important to handle errors gracefully and consider security implications:

wmic /node:"target" /user:"domain\user" /password:"password" process list brief 2>nul
if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
    echo Failed to connect to target system
    exit /b 1
)

This command includes error handling to check if the WMIC connection was successful. The 2>nul redirects error messages to null, and the errorlevel check determines if the command succeeded.

Common WMIC Error Codes

  • 0x80041010: Access denied - insufficient privileges
  • 0x80041003: Invalid namespace - WMI namespace doesn’t exist
  • 0x80041002: Invalid class - WMI class doesn’t exist
  • 0x80041001: Invalid parameter - incorrect syntax or parameters

Understanding these error codes helps red teamers troubleshoot connection issues and adjust their approach accordingly.

Conclusion

WMIC is a versatile tool for red teamers, enabling vulnerability discovery, system interrogation, and remote execution. When used effectively, WMIC can help red teamers achieve their objectives and support security assessments that lead to stronger defenses. However, it’s crucial to use WMIC responsibly and within authorized testing boundaries, as it provides powerful access to system information and configurations.