In this forensic investigation, we'll explore a sophisticated cyberattack targeting CyberSecure Dynamics, a rapidly expanding technology services firm. The company has detected anomalous activity within its cloud-hosted SQL Server environment, which appears to stem from outdated authentication configurations and weak default accounts. Our role as incident responders is to conduct a thorough analysis of the available artifacts, reconstruct the attack timeline, identify the vulnerabilities that were exploited, and determine the full scope of the compromise.
The investigation will take us through multiple stages of the attack lifecycle, from initial access attempts through a privileged SQL Server account to the attacker's post-exploitation activities. We'll examine Windows Event Logs, process creation events, registry modifications, and other forensic artifacts to piece together the attacker's methodology and objectives. Throughout this walkthrough, we'll leverage various digital forensics tools like Event Log Explorer to analyze the evidence. We'll also explore how the MITRE ATT&CK framework can help us categorize and understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) employed by the threat actor.
The investigation will reveal a methodical attack that progresses through multiple stages of the cyber kill chain, incorporating elements of initial access, execution, persistence, privilege escalation, and defense evasion. By analyzing each step of the attack and the artifacts left behind, we'll develop a comprehensive understanding of the threat actor's capabilities, techniques, and ultimate objectives.
Let's begin our forensic journey by