Posture check · Directory infrastructure
Domain controller account left behind after decommission (T1078.002)
A computer account still carries a domain controller's flags, but the controller is out of service. The account keeps every right of the Domain Controllers group until someone runs the metadata cleanup.
Why it matters
Nobody uses this account, so nobody would notice its credentials being stolen. Whoever steals them gets everything the Domain Controllers group can reach.
How GraphnAI finds it
It runs after every sync, on each connected domain or tenant on its own. It applies to Active Directory.
It reads:
- The directory attributes
userAccountControl,pwdLastSetandlastLogonTimestamp - The domain controller configuration scan
Tiered Fidelity™ level: Theoretical
Every finding from this check carries the Theoretical level.
- TheoreticalThis checkConfigured in the directory. Nothing else checked.
- ConstrainedA constraint on it has been checked.
- ValidatedTelemetry has seen it in use.
How Select Fire™ fixes it
How to fix it
Confirm the controller is retired. Then disable the account and remove it and its replication metadata with the directory's own cleanup.
What Select Fire changes
Select Fire opens from the finding and simulates each change on your live graph before anything changes in your directory.
- Disable user For computer accounts.Semi-Auto, or Full-Auto when an Admin allows this action and every Full-Auto check passes. Never on a Tier 0 or Tier 1 account.
Disabling the account stops it authenticating to the domain. If the controller is still serving the domain, this interrupts it, so confirm it's retired first.
Then, by hand: Remove the account and its replication metadata.
MITRE ATT&CK® technique names and MITRE D3FEND™ technique labels: © The MITRE Corporation. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of The MITRE Corporation. ATT&CK® is a registered trademark and D3FEND™ a trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
See it on your own directory.
The Public Preview is free for 30 days from your first sync, on your own server.