Active Directory has been the heart of IT infrastructure in thousands of organizations for years. Regardless of company size or industry, if there’s a Windows domain, there’s an Active Directory managing identities, access, and permissions.
That’s precisely why it has become a favorite target for attackers. Not because it’s inherently weak, but because it’s often to grow, change, and be inherited over time… and that’s where the cracks appear.
Detecting vulnerabilities in Active Directory before they are exploited is not a one-off task, nor is it something that can be resolved with an annual audit. It’s an ongoing process that combines technical knowledge, real-world visibility, and risk context. In this article, we’ll see how to do it in practice, without unnecessary technical jargon, and what role the Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) solutions play in this process.
At Enthec, we work precisely on this continuous approach. Kartos, our cybersecurity solution for businesses, helps identify, prioritize, and reduce exposure to real threats, including risks associated with Active Directory. It’s not just about seeing vulnerabilities, but about understanding which ones truly matter and why.
If you want to know how this translates into the day-to-day work of a security team, keep reading.
Why does Active Directory remain a critical security point?
Active Directory is not just an authentication service. It’s a complete ecosystem where users, computers, servers, group policies, services, and trust relationships coexist. A small error in your configuration can have a considerable impact.
Furthermore, attackers no longer improvise. In many recent incidents, the primary objective is not to encrypt data or exfiltrate information, but to take control of Active Directory.. Once inside, everything else falls into place.
Common vulnerabilities in Active Directory
Excessive permissions and poorly managed groups
One of the most frequent problems is the accumulation of privileges. . Users who change positions, service accounts created “temporarily,” or groups that no one has reviewed for years.
A user with more permissions than necessary is an open door,. and in Active Directory, those doors are usually well hidden.
Outdated accounts and weak credentials
Accounts that shouldn’t exist anymore, passwords that aren’t rotated, or services that work with shared credentials. All of this is still commonplace. The use of compromised credentials remains a leading cause of security breaches, especially in corporate environments.
You may be interested in→ How to manage business passwords and credentials easily and securely to avoid online threats.
Poorly configured group policies
Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are powerful, but also delicate. A poorly implemented policy can disable security controls on hundreds of computers without anyone noticing. The problem here is usually not a lack of controls, but rather a lack of visibility into its real impact.
How to proactively detect vulnerabilities in Active Directory
1. Technical audits… but with continuity
The classic cybersecurity audits are helpful, but they have a clear limit: the photo becomes outdated very quickly.. Active Directory changes every week, sometimes every day. It’s recommended to move from one-off audits to continuous review processes that analyze changes in real time.
2. Analysis of attack routes
Not all vulnerabilities carry the same weight. Some are only a problem when combined with others. That’s why it’s crucial to analyze real attack vectors, not just bug lists. This approach allows us to answer a much more helpful question:
“If an attacker logs in with this user account, how far could they go?”
3. Correlation with real threats
This is where Active Directory security often fails. Insecure configurations are detected, but they are not linked to
active threats or to techniques currently used by attackers.
CTEM methodologies focus precisely on that: on actual exposure, not on theoretical risk.
The role of cyber surveillance in Active Directory security
Traditional scanning tools often generate lengthy reports that are difficult to prioritize. The result is predictable: urgent issues are addressed, while the rest remain unresolved.
Cybersurveillance applied to Active Directory aims to detect early signs of exposure, even before it becomes an incident.
Kartos as support in continuous risk management
Kartos, our CTEM solution for businesses, is designed to identify attack surfaces, assess their impact, and prioritize actions.. In the case of Active Directory, this translates to:
- Continuous visibility over critical configurations.
- Detection of changes that increase exposure.
- Context to identify which vulnerabilities are truly exploitable.
It’s not just a technical issue but also a strategic one: helping teams decide where to invest time and resources.
Indicators that your Active Directory needs urgent attention
Frequent changes without precise control
If no one is clear on who modifies what in Active Directory, it’s a red flag. Changes without traceability often lead to accumulated errors.
Recurring minor incidents
Account lockouts, unauthorized access, or recurring alerts can be symptoms of a deeper structural problem.
Excessive dependence on privileged accounts
When too many processes depend on high-privilege accounts, the risk multiplies.
Reducing that dependency is key to improving Active Directory security.
Good practices for reducing exposure to threats
Among the best practices for reducing exposure to threats, we highlight:
Periodic review of privileges
It’s not a pleasant task, but it works. Reviewing who has access to what and why drastically reduces the chances of abuse.
Segmentation and the principle of least privilege
Applying the principle of least privilege is not just a theoretical recommendation. It is one of the most effective measures to limit the impact of an attack.
Continuous monitoring with a CTEM approach
This is where many organizations are moving from reacting to anticipating, relying on solutions that provide continuous visibility and intelligent prioritization.
Active Directory as part of a broader security strategy
A common mistake is treating Active Directory as an isolated element. In reality, it’s connected to email, applications, VPNs, cloud environments, and external services.
Therefore, Active Directory security must be integrated into a global strategy that accounts for the organization’s entire attack surface.
In this context, tools like Kartos enable a unified view that links internal vulnerabilities to external threats and suspicious online activity. Detecting vulnerabilities in Active Directory before they are exploited is not a matter of luck or simply checking off a list. It’s a matter of focus, visibility, and continuity.
If you want to know how Kartos can help you identify and reduce your Active Directory’s actual exposure, at Enthec, we would be happy to analyze your case and show you how to apply a CTEM approach adapted to your environment.
Contact our team and start seeing your Active Directory from an attacker’s perspective, before someone else does.
