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Linux Configuration Enumeration POST Exploit

Hello aspiring hackers. Today we will learn about Linux Configuration Enumeration POST Exploit. After getting a successful meterpreter session on the target Linux system (as shown here), the next logical step is to perform some enumeration on the target Linux machine. Metasploit has many POST exploits corresponding to Linux enumeration.

The first module we will see is Linux configuration enumeration. The enum_configs module is used to collect information from the configuration files found of applications commonly installed in the system. These applications may include Apache, Nginx, Snort, MySQL, Samba, Sendmail, sysctl, cups, lampp and SNMP etc. This POST module searches for a config file in the application’s default path and if the application exists on the target system, the module will download the files and store it.

If the application doesn’t exist or the config file is moved from its default location, this module will display the “file not found” message. (Just like any POST exploit or as shown in the shell_to_meterpreter exploit, we need to background the current session and load the POST module as shown above. Then set the session id and run the exploit). Here is the enum configs module in action as shown below.

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Hacking the SSH server, again

In the previous howto, we have seen how to research about a vulnerability in the FTP service running on our target system and exploit it to gain a shell on that system. In this howto, we will see hacking the SSH service running on port 22. It can be seen that the target is running OPenSSH 4.7p1 SSH server.

I googled about the above mentioned version to find out if it had any vulnerabilities and exploits for those vulnerabilities. After an arduous search, I found one exploit but that seemed to be not working (Its not always a positive result in hacking).

Remember that we already gained a shell on the SSH server in one of our previous howtos. We did this using the credentials we obtained during enumeration of the target system. (This is why enumeration is so important). We used this credentials in a Metasploit SSH login module to get a shell on our target system.

This time we will see another way of gaining access to the SSH server using the same module. This SSH login module can also be used to brute force the credentials of the SSH server. Let’s see how it works. Load the module and check the required options.

In order to brute force the credentials, we need to specify a dictionary for cracking username- s and passwords in the similar fashion we set while using Hydra. We will use the same dictionary we have used while performing password cracking with Hydra.

I have set the same file for both username and passwords. To conserve time I have set the option “stop_on_success” to True. This option will stop the brute forcing if it finds even one login credential. I have set the “verbose” option also to TRUE. This module is normally used to brute force multiple SSH servers at once. That’s the reason it has “RHOSTS” option instead of “RHOST” option. Any how we can still set a single IP as target. All the options are shown as below.

After all the options are set, execute the exploit using the command “run”.

Once the password is cracked successfully, the module displays the credentials and automatically gives us a shell on the target system as shown in the above image. The available sessions can be viewed as shown below.

We can also login into the SSH server using the credentials we obtained prior as shown below.

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Windows Powershell Enumeration POST Exploit

Hello aspiring hackers. The exploit we will see today is a POST exploitation Metasploit exploit that performs Powershell enumeration in Windows. Windows PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework designed by Microsoft which consists of a command line shell and associated scripting language built on the .NET Framework and .NET Core.

PowerShell provides full access to COM and WMI, enabling administrators to perform administrative tasks on both local and remote Windows systems. Its same as a command line shell but powershell is more powerful than CMD. It is a very helpful tool for network asministrators. If used properly, it can also be used by hackers to the full potential.

But we need to know about the Powershell settings installed on the target system for this. This powershell enumeration module exactly does that for us. Let us see how this module works. Just like any Metasploit POST module, we need to have a valid meterpreter session to run this module. Background the current meterpreter session and load the powershell environment enumeration module as shown below. Type command “info” to view the information about this module as shown below.

Type command “show options” to view the options to be configured. Set the session ID of the meterpreter session we just sent to background and execute the module using command “run”.

powershell enumeration

As you can see in the image above, our module successfully completed powershell enumeration of the target machine. Powershell version 2.0 is installed on our target system an there are no powershell snap-ins are installed. It seems none of the users have powershell profiles.

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Hack Remote PC with Git Submodule

Hello aspiring hackers. In this howto, we will learn how to hack remote PC with Git Submodule. If you are a developer, cyber security enthusiast or at least a computer user, you should have definitely used (or heard about) Github. Git is an open source version control system developed by none other than the awesome Linus Trovalds (yes the same guy who created Linux).

It is a system designed to keep in touch with constant changes made to the code of software by developers. GitHub is a popular hub where developers store their projects and network with like minded people. Github stores information in a data structure called a repository. The particular module exploits a vulnerability in Git submodule.

Git submodules allow users to attach an external repository inside another repository at a specific path. This vulnerability in the Git submodule can be exploited by an attacker who can change the URL of a sub- module in a repository. This URL in the submodule can be changed to point towards a malicious link.

This module is a local exploit and works on Git versions 2.7.5 and lower. Now let us see how this module works. Start Metasploit and load the exploit as shown below. Type command “show options” to see all the options we need for this module to run.

First, we need to configure the malicious Git server. Set the options : LHOST, git_uri and Iport options as shown below. The git_uri option sets the malicious git submodule. Use command “run” to start our Git server. As the user git clones from our URL, we will get a command session on the target.

Now we need to send this malicious Git url to our intended victims. Probably it should be set as a software to convince the users to clone into their machine. Here we are testing this on KaIi Linux 2016 machine which has the vulnerable version of Git installed. We need to instruct the user to update the submodule just cloned. Let us see what happens on the victim machine.

As this happens in our victim system, we will already get a command shell on our attacker system as shown below.

We can see the active sessions using the command “sessions”.

That is how we hack remote pc with Git Submodule.

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Hacking Vsftpd FTP server

In the previous howto, we saw how information about the services running in the target system can help us in researching about them and finding vulnerabilities in those software. In this article, readers will learn about hacking vsftpd. For example, imagine I am a black hat who performed a Nmap scan on the target (in this case, Metasploitable). The target has displayed so many banners of the services running.

Let us see if we can try out the FTP service at port 21 to get access to the system. Since I am a black hat, assume I have not performed any automated vulnerability scan. Following the process shown in the last howto, I google about vsftpd 2.3.4.

I got a lot of information about the FTP service at port 21. Vsftpd stands for very secure FTP daemon and the present version installed on Metasploitable 2 (1.e 2.3.4) has a backdoor installed inside it. It seems somebody already hacked vsftpd and uploaded a backdoor installed Vsftpd daemon. This malicious version of vsftpd was available on the master site between June 30th 2011 and July 1st 2011. So our target might be using the malicious version. While searching for exploit on exploit database, I found a Metasploit exploit for this vulnerability. So I start Metasploit and search for the exploit. I found it after some time.

hacking vsftpd

I loaded the module and checked its options using “show options” command.

The only option required is the IP address of our target to be specified in the RHOST option. I set the RHOST option and execute the exploit using the “run” command.

I successfully got a shell on the target system as shown in the image above. I try out some basic Linux commands. As this shell has root privileges (shown in the above image), I decided to have a look at the passwd file of the target. Here it is.

Since we have shell access, we can perform all tasks which we perform from the terminal of a Linux system. We can even shutdown the remote system but keep in mind that you will lose your access to the system. That’s all in hacking vsftpd service.

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