In the context of a pass-the-hash attack, what should the pentester do if they cannot gain administrative access?

In the context of a pass-the-hash attack, if a pentester cannot gain administrative access, it is important to understand how the User Account Control (UAC) settings play a role in privilege management. By editing the UAC policy settings, the pentester can potentially lower the protection mechanisms that restrict access to certain administrative functions. UAC is designed to prevent unauthorized changes to the operating system, and modifying these settings can enable the execution of higher privilege tasks that are normally restricted.

This approach allows the pentester to elevate privileges or bypass certain security controls in place, which can facilitate further penetration testing activities. Adjusting UAC settings might create a more favorable environment for further exploitation, making it a strategic choice when other avenues for gaining access are not available.

Other options, while they might be useful in different scenarios, do not necessarily align with the immediate goal of gaining administrative access in the context of a pass-the-hash attack. For instance, running a Metasploit module may not lead to higher privileges, simply gathering intelligence without increasing the access level. Disabling the Windows Firewall is typically not an advisable strategy, as it could easily alert security teams or impact system stability. Likewise, using a brute-force tool to crack a password is often time