During an internal penetration test, a security consultant has obtained administrator access on an application server inside the DMZ and used an SSH session to pivot into the internal network. The consultant needs to discover how access could propagate laterally to reach database and file servers that house sensitive data. Which approach best identifies infiltration routes among additional systems in this environment?
Reviewing configuration files for possible credentials stored in plaintext
Querying external sources for domain data and zone transfers
Analyzing service permissions and trust relationships among adjacent systems
Gathering event logs to extract user account details and local group memberships
By tracing trust relationships and inherited permissions, a tester sees which systems are accessible from the compromised point. Examining files or logs can reveal credentials, but it does not clarify how those credentials connect to new hosts. Checking external domain databases may help external reconnaissance. However, analyzing service-specific privileges and trusts among connected hosts is most effective for finding avenues to move deeper inside.
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