A certificate template is a set of rules in Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) that defines how a certificate is issued. It specifies who may enroll, what certificate purposes and identity details are allowed, and whether an authorized requester can supply information such as a subject name.
Templates matter because certificates can authenticate users or computers, creating an access path alongside passwords. If a template grants broad enrollment rights or permits requesters to specify another identity, an attacker with suitable access may obtain a certificate representing a more privileged account. Defenders should restrict enrollment, review templates for risky settings, monitor certificate issuance, and revoke unauthorized certificates. In AD CS attacks, template misconfiguration is distinct from NTLM relay: each is a different route to abuse certificate services.