Adversaries may search for private key certificate files on compromised systems for insecurely stored credentials. Private cryptographic keys and certificates are used for authentication, encryption/decryption, and digital signatures.^[1] Common key and certificate file extensions include: .key, .pgp, .gpg, .ppk., .p12, .pem, .pfx, .cer, .p7b, .asc.

Adversaries may also look in common key directories, such as ~/.ssh for SSH keys on * nix-based systems or C:\Users\(username)\.ssh\ on Windows. Adversary tools may also search compromised systems for file extensions relating to cryptographic keys and certificates.^[2],[3]

When a device is registered to Entra ID, a device key and a transport key are generated and used to verify the device’s identity.^[4] An adversary with access to the device may be able to export the keys in order to impersonate the device.^[5]

On network devices, private keys may be exported via Network Device CLI commands such as crypto pki export.^[6]

Some private keys require a password or passphrase for operation, so an adversary may also use Input Capture for keylogging or attempt to Brute Force the passphrase off-line. These private keys can be used to authenticate to Remote Services like SSH or for use in decrypting other collected files such as email.

References

1. Wikipedia. (2017, June 29). Public-key cryptography. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
2. Kaspersky Labs. (2014, February 11). Unveiling “Careto” - The Masked APT. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
3. Bar, T., Conant, S., Efraim, L. (2016, June 28). Prince of Persia – Game Over. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
4. Microsoft. (2022, September 9). What is a Primary Refresh Token?. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
5. Dr. Nestori Syynimaa. (2022, February 15). Stealing and faking Azure AD device identities. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
6. Cisco. (2023, February 17). Chapter: Deploying RSA Keys Within a PKI . Retrieved March 27, 2023.

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