# LAPS Readers

### Overview

**LAPS** stands for **Local Administrator Password Solution**. It is a **security feature from Microsoft** that helps organizations **secure local administrator accounts on Windows machines**. 

### What problem does LAPS solve?

On Windows computers, there is usually a **local Administrator account**.

In many environments:

* Every computer has **the same local admin password**
* Or passwords are rarely changed

This is **dangerous**. If an attacker gets the local admin password on **one machine**, they can log in as admin on **every other machine** and move laterally**.**

### What LAPS does

**LAPS automatically:**

1. Generates a **unique, strong password** for the local Administrator account on **each computer**
2. **Rotates** (changes) that password regularly
3. **Stores the password securely in Active Directory (**Saved in the computer’s AD object inside the DC)
4. Allows **only authorized admins** to read it

So:

* PC-1 has password `X`
* PC-2 has password `Y`
* PC-3 has password `Z`\
  (all different, all rotated)

### Privilege Escalation

1. With LAPS, each **domain-joined computer** has attributes on its **computer object in Active Directory**, such as:

   * Legacy LAPS: `ms-Mcs-AdmPwd`
   * Windows LAPS: `msLAPS-Password` (or encrypted variant)

   These attributes store the **local Administrator password** for that machine.
2. A user or group with **Read** access to that attribute can query Active Directory and retrieve the local admin password.
3. Run:\
   `impacket-GetLAPSPassword toffee.bth/<user>:'<pass>' -dc-ip 10.10.10.100`&#x20;
4. Login with the creds using winrm or any other method.

### References

1. <https://www.hackingarticles.in/credential-dumping-laps/>


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