blob

Overview

The blob command decrypts arbitrary DPAPI blobs provided as base64 strings or binary files. This is a general-purpose decryption tool for any DPAPI-protected data not covered by other specific commands.

DPAPI blobs are the fundamental encrypted data structure used throughout Windows. This command can decrypt any DPAPI blob if you have the appropriate masterkeys.

Basic Usage

# Decrypt blob file with CryptUnprotectData (unprivileged)
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Path\To\blob.bin /unprotect

# Decrypt blob with domain backup key
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Path\To\blob.bin /pvk:key.pvk

# Decrypt base64 blob with masterkey mappings
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:AQAAAAAADQCAAAAAgA... {GUID}:SHA1

# Decrypt blob file with user password
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Path\To\blob.bin /password:Password123!

The /target parameter is required for the blob command. You must specify either a file path or base64-encoded blob data.

Command Arguments

Required Arguments

Argument	Description
`/target:BASE64`	Base64-encoded DPAPI blob to decrypt
`/target:blob.bin`	Path to binary file containing DPAPI blob

Decryption Methods

CryptUnprotectData
Domain Backup Key
Masterkey Mappings
User Credentials

# Use Windows API for decryption (unprivileged)
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin /unprotect

This method works without masterkeys if run from the user context who created the blob. No LSASS access required!

# Base64-encoded key
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin /pvk:HvG1sAAAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC...

# Key file
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin /pvk:key.pvk

First decrypts user masterkeys, then uses them to decrypt the blob.

# Inline masterkeys
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin {GUID1}:SHA1 {GUID2}:SHA1

# Masterkey file
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin /mkfile:masterkeys.txt

Directly uses pre-decrypted masterkeys for blob decryption.

# Plaintext password
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin /password:Password123!

# NTLM hash
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin /ntlm:8846F7EAEE8FB117AD06BDD830B7586C

# DPAPI credkey
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin /credkey:abc123...

The /server argument is not applicable to the blob command since you must specify a specific target blob or file.

Example: Decrypting Binary Blob File with /unprotect

SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob.bin /unprotect

Output:

[*] Action: Describe DPAPI blob

[*] Using CryptUnprotectData() for decryption.

    guidMasterKey    : {0241bc33-44ae-404a-b05d-a35eea8cbc63}
    size             : 170
    flags            : 0x0
    algHash/algCrypt : 32772 (CALG_SHA) / 26115 (CALG_3DES)
    description      :
    dec(blob)        : Password123!

Example: Decrypting with Masterkey Mappings

SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob2.bin {0241bc33-44ae-404a-b05d-a35eea8cbc63}:E7E481877B9D51C17E015EB3C1F72FB887363EE3

Output:

[*] Action: Describe DPAPI blob

[*] Using CryptUnprotectData() for decryption.

    guidMasterKey    : {0241bc33-44ae-404a-b05d-a35eea8cbc63}
    size             : 314
    flags            : 0x0
    algHash/algCrypt : 32772 (CALG_SHA) / 26115 (CALG_3DES)
    description      :
    dec(blob)        : 01 00 00 00 3F 3F 3F 3F 01 15 3F 11 3F 7A 00 3F 4F 3F 3F ...

Binary data is displayed as hex bytes. Text data is displayed as a string.

Example: Decrypting with Domain Backup Key

SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Temp\blob2.bin /pvk:HvG1sAAAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC...

Output:

[*] Action: Describe DPAPI blob

[*] Using a domain DPAPI backup key to triage masterkeys for decryption key mappings!

[*] User master key cache:

{0241bc33-44ae-404a-b05d-a35eea8cbc63}:E7E481877B9D51C17E015EB3C1F72FB887363EE3

    guidMasterKey    : {0241bc33-44ae-404a-b05d-a35eea8cbc63}
    size             : 314
    flags            : 0x0
    algHash/algCrypt : 32772 (CALG_SHA) / 26115 (CALG_3DES)
    description      :
    dec(blob)        : 01 00 00 00 3F 3F 3F 3F 01 15 3F 11 3F 7A 00 3F 4F 3F 3F ...

DPAPI Blob Structure

A DPAPI blob contains:

Field	Description
guidMasterKey	GUID of masterkey used for encryption
size	Size of encrypted data
flags	Protection flags (e.g., CRYPTPROTECT_SYSTEM)
algHash	Hash algorithm used (e.g., CALG_SHA)
algCrypt	Encryption algorithm used (e.g., CALG_3DES, CALG_AES_256)
description	Optional description string
encrypted data	The actual encrypted content

Common DPAPI Blob Sources

Registry Values

Browser saved passwords
Application credentials
Windows settings
Software configurations

File System

Configuration files
Credential stores
Encrypted user data
Application data

Memory Dumps

Process memory containing DPAPI data
Crash dumps with credentials
Hibernation files

Custom Applications

Third-party software using DPAPI
Custom credential management
Encrypted configuration data

Finding DPAPI Blobs

Use the search command to find DPAPI blobs:

# Search registry
SharpDPAPI.exe search /type:registry

# Search folder
SharpDPAPI.exe search /type:folder /path:C:\ProgramData\

# Search specific file
SharpDPAPI.exe search /type:file /path:C:\config.dat

# Search base64 string
SharpDPAPI.exe search /type:base64 /base:AQAAAAAADQCAAAAAgA...

Common Scenarios

Analyzing Custom Application Data

Decrypt DPAPI blobs from custom applications:

# Find blobs in application directory
SharpDPAPI.exe search /type:folder /path:C:\Program Files\CustomApp\

# Decrypt discovered blob
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Program Files\CustomApp\encrypted.dat /unprotect

Registry-Based Credentials

Extract and decrypt registry DPAPI blobs:

# Extract from registry
$regValue = Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\App" -Name "EncryptedData"
$base64 = [Convert]::ToBase64String($regValue.EncryptedData)

# Decrypt the blob
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:AQAAAAAADQCAAAAAgA... /unprotect

Post-Domain Compromise

Decrypt arbitrary DPAPI blobs with domain backup key:

# 1. Retrieve backup key
SharpDPAPI.exe backupkey /file:key.pvk

# 2. Find interesting blobs
SharpDPAPI.exe search /type:folder /path:C:\ProgramData\

# 3. Decrypt discovered blobs
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\ProgramData\App\data.bin /pvk:key.pvk

Offline/Forensic Analysis

Analyze extracted DPAPI blobs:

# Decrypt with backup key
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Evidence\unknown.blob /pvk:key.pvk

# Decrypt with known masterkey
SharpDPAPI.exe blob /target:C:\Evidence\unknown.blob {GUID}:SHA1

Blob Flags

Common DPAPI protection flags:

Flag	Value	Description
CRYPTPROTECT_UI_FORBIDDEN	0x1	No UI prompts
CRYPTPROTECT_LOCAL_MACHINE	0x4	Machine-scope protection
CRYPTPROTECT_SYSTEM	0x20000000	System credential protection

The CRYPTPROTECT_SYSTEM flag (0x20000000) indicates credentials saved by Windows services or scheduled tasks.

Encryption Algorithms

Common DPAPI encryption algorithms:

Algorithm	Value	Description
CALG_3DES	26115	Triple DES encryption
CALG_AES_128	26126	AES-128 encryption
CALG_AES_256	26128	AES-256 encryption (newer Windows)

Detection Considerations

Host-Based Indicators:

Reading unknown/arbitrary files
Processing base64-encoded data
Decryption attempts on multiple blobs
Access patterns suggesting blob enumeration

Defensive Monitoring:

Monitor for bulk file access patterns
Alert on DPAPI-related process activity
Track access to application credential stores
Detect registry value enumeration
Monitor for LSASS access (when not using /unprotect)

search

Find DPAPI blobs in registry, files, and folders

ps

Decrypt PowerShell credential XML files

credentials

Decrypt Credential Manager files

masterkeys

Decrypt user masterkeys

Tips

Working with Blobs

Use the search command to locate DPAPI blobs first
Extract blobs from registry using PowerShell
Binary data may require further parsing after decryption
Check blob flags to understand protection scope
Text data will be displayed directly, binary as hex

OPSEC Considerations

Prefer /unprotect when running as target user
Target specific blobs to avoid bulk processing
Redirect output to file with /consoleoutfile
Consider the visibility of accessing unusual files
Base64 blobs in command line may be logged

Troubleshooting

Decryption fails with /unprotect:

Must run from user context who created the blob
Try using masterkeys or backup key instead
Verify you’re running as correct user
Blob may use machine-scope protection

Invalid blob format:

Data may not be a DPAPI blob
File may be corrupted
Check file header for DPAPI signature
Verify base64 encoding is correct

Decrypted data is binary:

Data is not plain text
May require additional parsing
Check application documentation
Could be encrypted with additional layer

Getting Started

User Triage Commands

Machine Triage Commands

Utility Commands

SharpChrome

Overview

Basic Usage

Command Arguments

Required Arguments

Decryption Methods

Example: Decrypting Binary Blob File with /unprotect

Example: Decrypting with Masterkey Mappings

Example: Decrypting with Domain Backup Key

DPAPI Blob Structure

Common DPAPI Blob Sources

Finding DPAPI Blobs

Common Scenarios

Blob Flags

Encryption Algorithms

Detection Considerations

search

ps

credentials

masterkeys

Tips

​Overview

​Basic Usage

​Command Arguments

​Required Arguments

​Decryption Methods

​Example: Decrypting Binary Blob File with /unprotect

​Example: Decrypting with Masterkey Mappings

​Example: Decrypting with Domain Backup Key

​DPAPI Blob Structure

​Common DPAPI Blob Sources

​Finding DPAPI Blobs

​Common Scenarios

​Blob Flags

​Encryption Algorithms

​Detection Considerations

​Related Commands

search

ps

credentials

masterkeys

​Tips

Overview

Basic Usage

Command Arguments

Required Arguments

Decryption Methods

Example: Decrypting Binary Blob File with /unprotect

Example: Decrypting with Masterkey Mappings

Example: Decrypting with Domain Backup Key

DPAPI Blob Structure

Common DPAPI Blob Sources

Finding DPAPI Blobs

Common Scenarios

Blob Flags

Encryption Algorithms

Detection Considerations

Related Commands

Tips