MITRE ATT&CK Technique
Credential Access T1003.004
Description

Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can contain a variety of different credential materials, such as credentials for service accounts.(Citation: Passcape LSA Secrets)(Citation: Microsoft AD Admin Tier Model)(Citation: Tilbury Windows Credentials) LSA secrets are stored in the registry at <code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY\Policy\Secrets</code>. LSA secrets can also be dumped from memory.(Citation: ired Dumping LSA Secrets) [Reg](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0075) can be used to extract from the Registry. [Mimikatz](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0002) can be used to extract secrets from memory.(Citation: ired Dumping LSA Secrets)

Supported Platforms
Windows
Created

April 29, 2026

Last Updated

April 29, 2026

STIX Data
{'created': '2020-02-21T16:22:09.493Z',
 'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'description': 'Adversaries with SYSTEM access to a host may attempt to '
                'access Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets, which can '
                'contain a variety of different credential materials, such as '
                'credentials for service accounts.(Citation: Passcape LSA '
                'Secrets)(Citation: Microsoft AD Admin Tier Model)(Citation: '
                'Tilbury Windows Credentials) LSA secrets are stored in the '
                'registry at '
                '<code>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SECURITY\\Policy\\Secrets</code>. '
                'LSA secrets can also be dumped from memory.(Citation: ired '
                'Dumping LSA Secrets)\n'
                '\n'
                '[Reg](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0075) can be used to '
                'extract from the Registry. '
                '[Mimikatz](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S0002) can be '
                'used to extract secrets from memory.(Citation: ired Dumping '
                'LSA Secrets)',
 'external_references': [{'external_id': 'T1003.004',
                          'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
                          'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003/004'},
                         {'description': 'Chad Tilbury. (2017, August 8). '
                                         '1Windows Credentials: Attack, '
                                         'Mitigation, Defense. Retrieved '
                                         'February 21, 2020.',
                          'source_name': 'Tilbury Windows Credentials',
                          'url': 'https://www.first.org/resources/papers/conf2017/Windows-Credentials-Attacks-and-Mitigation-Techniques.pdf'},
                         {'description': 'Mantvydas Baranauskas. (2019, '
                                         'November 16). Dumping LSA Secrets. '
                                         'Retrieved February 21, 2020.',
                          'source_name': 'ired Dumping LSA Secrets',
                          'url': 'https://ired.team/offensive-security/credential-access-and-credential-dumping/dumping-lsa-secrets'},
                         {'description': 'Microsoft. (2019, February 14). '
                                         'Active Directory administrative tier '
                                         'model. Retrieved February 21, 2020.',
                          'source_name': 'Microsoft AD Admin Tier Model',
                          'url': 'https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/securing-privileged-access/securing-privileged-access-reference-material?redirectedfrom=MSDN'},
                         {'description': 'Passcape. (n.d.). Windows LSA '
                                         'secrets. Retrieved February 21, '
                                         '2020.',
                          'source_name': 'Passcape LSA Secrets',
                          'url': 'https://www.passcape.com/index.php?section=docsys&cmd=details&id=23'},
                         {'description': 'PowerSploit. (n.d.). Retrieved '
                                         'December 4, 2014.',
                          'source_name': 'Powersploit',
                          'url': 'https://github.com/mattifestation/PowerSploit'}],
 'id': 'attack-pattern--1ecfdab8-7d59-4c98-95d4-dc41970f57fc',
 'kill_chain_phases': [{'kill_chain_name': 'mitre-attack',
                        'phase_name': 'credential-access'}],
 'modified': '2025-10-24T17:48:29.945Z',
 'name': 'LSA Secrets',
 'object_marking_refs': ['marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168'],
 'revoked': False,
 'spec_version': '2.1',
 'type': 'attack-pattern',
 'x_mitre_attack_spec_version': '3.2.0',
 'x_mitre_contributors': ['Ed Williams, Trustwave, SpiderLabs'],
 'x_mitre_deprecated': False,
 'x_mitre_detection': '',
 'x_mitre_domains': ['enterprise-attack'],
 'x_mitre_is_subtechnique': True,
 'x_mitre_modified_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'x_mitre_platforms': ['Windows'],
 'x_mitre_version': '1.1'}
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