Pass-the-Ticket

Pass-the-Ticket: Misuse of stolen Kerberos tickets to assume an identity. The term is relevant to the assessment and design of modern security architecturesSecurity ArchitectureThe structured design of security controls, trust boundaries, data flows, and operational responsibilities. and should be applied within the specific technical and organizational context.

How it works and where it fits

Technically, Pass-the-Ticket describes an attack path or a concrete method rather than a single suspicious event. A sound assessment separates prerequisites, entry point, objective, intermediate steps, and expected effect. The same technique can produce very different outcomes depending on system architecture, available privileges, exposure, and existing safeguards.

Practical security relevance

In practice, both preventive measures and observable traces matter. Secure configuration, restricted privileges, robust input and identity checks, and telemetry at affected trust boundaries all contribute. A single indicator rarely proves an attack; reliable detection, containment, and remediation require the combined context of timing, source, target, and observed impact.

Related concepts

• KerberosKerberosTicket-based protocol for secure authentication in insecure networks.: Ticket-based protocol for secure authentication in insecure networks.
• Pass-the-HashPass-the-HashAuthentication attack that uses a stolen hash instead of the plaintext password.: Authentication attack that uses a stolen hash instead of the plaintext password.
• Lateral MovementLateral MovementAn attacker's movement from a compromised system to other systems.: An attacker’s movement from a compromised system to other systems.
• Account TakeoverAccount TakeoverUnauthorized takeover of a user account using stolen credentials.: Unauthorized takeover of a user account using stolen credentials.