What Mimikatz Is?
Mimikatz is an open-source Windows security tool developed by Benjamin Delpy (a.k.a. gentilkiwi). It allows users to extract plaintext passwords, hashes, PINs, and Kerberos tickets from memory on Windows systems.
Mimikatz Impact on Windows Security Architecture
When Mimikatz touches a Windows system, it fundamentally breaks the illusion of credential safety within memory. Its presence exposes a deep architectural flaw — one that exists not because of weak passwords or bad policies, but because of how Windows handles trust internally.
Memory Exposure: The LSASS Weakness
At the heart of Windows authentication lies LSASS (Local Security Authority Subsystem Service) — the process responsible for verifying logins, enforcing policies, and managing Kerberos tickets.
Mimikatz directly interacts with LSASS memory space. Once it gains SeDebugPrivilege, it can read LSASS memory, extracting:
- Plaintext credentials (in older Windows versions or misconfigured environments)
- NTLM hashes (for Pass-the-Hash attacks)
- Kerberos tickets (for Pass-the-Ticket attacks)
- DPAPI secrets (for decrypting browser and system credentials)
In essence, once LSASS is accessed, the attacker no longer needs to “crack” passwords — Windows simply hands them over.
Breaking Authentication Boundaries
Mimikatz doesn’t exploit an external vulnerability — it abuses design trust. Windows assumes that any process with sufficient privileges is legitimate. Once an attacker reaches local administrator or SYSTEM level, Mimikatz can impersonate that trust chain.
This makes Windows vulnerable at a structural level:
- Credentials cached in memory for user convenience become offensive weapons.
- Kerberos tickets designed for seamless authentication become reusable access tokens.
- NTLM hashes become master keys that open every connected resource.
