Practice authorized Active Directory discovery with AD Explorer and command-line alternatives.

Use read-only credentials where possible and run this exercise only in the lab or another explicitly authorized directory.

👥 Enumerate LDAP with AD Explorer

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is used to query and manage directory services such as Active Directory. Enumerating LDAP can help identify users, groups, organizational units, and other objects within a domain.

• Open AD Explorer (or your preferred LDAP browser).

• When AD Explorer starts, it will prompt you for the target IP or domain controller. Enter the target to connect.

• Once connected, you can explore the domain structure and view objects such as:

  • Users
  • Groups
  • Organizational Units (OUs)
  • Computers and service accounts

• AD Explorer also allows read and write operations if you have sufficient permissions, enabling:

  • Exporting the directory tree
  • Searching for specific objects
  • Modifying attributes (for authorized administrative tasks)

• Other LDAP tools you can use include:

  • Softerra LDAP Administrator – feature-rich GUI for browsing and managing LDAP directories.
  • LDAP Admin Tool – lightweight client for browsing, searching, and editing LDAP entries.
  • LDAP Account Manager – web-based tool for managing users, groups, and permissions.
  • LDAP Search – simple command-line tool for querying LDAP directories.

• Tips for LDAP Enumeration:

  • Always ensure you have authorization before enumerating LDAP directories. Unauthorized access can be illegal.
  • Use read-only accounts where possible to avoid modifying critical directory data.
  • Filter results to specific object classes to reduce noise, e.g., (objectClass=user) to list all users.
  • Combine LDAP enumeration with network reconnaissance for mapping Active Directory structures.

• Command-line alternative:

  • On Windows, you can use ldapsearch or PowerShell cmdlets like Get-ADUser for scripting automated queries.

    Get-ADUser -Filter * -Properties DisplayName,EmailAddress
    

LDAP enumeration is a powerful technique for understanding Active Directory environments, performing audits, and verifying security configurations.