offensive-persistence

1# Offensive Persistence
2 
3Persistence ensures your access survives reboots, password changes, and routine
4maintenance. You plant mechanisms that re-establish a session or re-execute
5your payload without requiring a new initial compromise. The choice of
6persistence technique depends on your privilege level, the target operating
7system, the engagement scope, and the detection risk you can tolerate.
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9This skill covers both Windows and Linux persistence methods, from simple
10registry keys to domain-level Active Directory backdoors. Every technique
11here assumes you already have code execution on the target. Apply these in
12authorized engagements only.
13 
14## Quick Workflow
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161. Assess your current privilege level (user-level vs admin/root vs domain admin).
172. Identify the target OS version and security controls in place.
183. Select a persistence mechanism matching your access level and stealth needs.
194. Validate the persistence survives a reboot or logoff event.
205. Document the exact mechanism and location for cleanup during engagement close.
216. Layer multiple persistence methods at different privilege levels when scope allows.
227. Prefer reversible methods that you can fully remove during remediation.
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26## Windows: Registry Autostart
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28Registry Run and RunOnce keys execute commands at user logon or system startup.
29These are the simplest persistence mechanisms and work at both user and admin
30privilege levels.
31 
32```powershell
33# User-level persistence (HKCU, no admin required)
34…