๐ Secure Bits ๐ก
๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐. ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ?
Microsoft classifies it as a Control Plane / Tier 0 asset for a reason โ whoever controls that server controls the source of authority for your hybrid identities. Yet on most environments I look at, it’s still patched, accessed, and configured like any other member server.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ:
– Place it in ๐ง๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฌ of your tiering model, with access restricted to a dedicated admin group signing in through a privileged access workstation
– Apply the ๐ช๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ to the OS underneath
– Move authentication for the Entra connector sync account to app-based authentication – an ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ replaces the legacy username/password sync account
– Confirm auto-upgrade is actually running at least once every six months
๐ฅ๐๐ป ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ผ:
A second instance that imports and evaluates on the same schedule as production, but never exports, gives you a server that’s already current and ready to promote. There is no need to rebuild or re-import settings. If the primary server fails or needs an update tested first, you can just switch. It’s not a nice-to-have. It’s Microsoft’s recommended DR approach over restoring a VM snapshot, which can re-export stale attributes into a live directory and cause inconsistencies.
๐ง๐๐ผ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ต ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ผ๐ณ๐ณ:
– ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ณ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต = lets Entra Connect claim an existing cloud object by matching on email, UPN or ProxyAddress alone. Useful during an initial hybrid rollout, a standing liability afterward. It can be easily used to take over cloud-only identity and move laterally to cloud environment.
– ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ง๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ = lets an on-premise object become source of authority for a cloud-managed one and overwrite its password hash. Microsoft’s own guidance is to disable it once your tenant is fully synced
โ None of this is exotic. It’s the difference between an Entra Connect server that’s “working fine” and one that can’t quietly become an attacker’s easiest path to Global Admin.
๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ, ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต ๐๐ฒ๐?
Author: Martin Strnad
