MITRE ATT&CK Technique
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
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'}