SSH Key Exploitation and SMB Recon: A CTF
CTFs (Capture The Flag competitions) offer hands-on experience, simulating real-world cyber scenarios. They hone skills, encourage problem-solving, foster teamwork, and promote a deep understanding of cyber threats and defense strategies. Insights SSH Key Usage: Stored SSH keys can be exploited to gain access, especially if they aren’t password-protected or if the passphrase can be […]
Windows Security: Abusing Access Tokens | Practical
Windows, in its core security design, leverages access tokens to determine if accounts possess the requisite permissions to execute certain tasks. When you authenticate to a system, Windows hands over an access token specific to your account. But here’s where things can get dicey: these tokens, if misconfigured or manipulated, might become an open door […]
SQLi and Reverse SSH Tunnelling | Game Zone THM
Game Zone, offered by TryHackMe, is a box that covers a broad spectrum of tasks. It takes participants through SQL injection, password cracking, reverse SSH tunneling, and the use of Metasploit. It’s a solid challenge, offering a good mix of content for those keen to hone their skills. Insights Web Application Vulnerabilities: SQL injection […]
Working with Linux Capabilities | Cap HackTheBox
Linux capabilities allow for a nuanced approach to the security architecture, breaking down the absolute root privilege into specific individual permissions. This division provides a detailed control mechanism as opposed to the generic superuser model. “Cap” is a HackTheBox machine designed to test one’s grasp of pcap files and SSH, but also emphasizes the importance […]
Exploiting HeartBleed for OSCP | Valentine HackTheBox
HackTheBox presents “Valentine”, a vulnerable machine centered around OpenSSL’s well-known HeartBleed issue. This challenge pushes us to grapple with essential security concepts. The path to the flags involves decoding messages and navigating Linux for privilege escalation. In this walkthrough, I’ll share my approach to Valentine, highlighting the steps and strategies I used. Let’s dive into […]
SweetRice CMS Exploitation | LazyAdmin TryHackMe
LazyAdmin is a machine available on TRYHACKME, designed for those looking to hone their skills in a controlled environment. This box provides opportunities to delve into web application exploration, exploit a documented CVE within a CMS, and understand a fundamental privilege escalation technique. Key Takeaways Enumeration: Systematic exploration to identify open ports, active services, […]
Exploiting Samba with Metasploit | HackTheBox
Lame is a beginner-friendly box available on HackTheBox. In this walkthrough, I’ll go through Nmap, SMB file shares, anonymous FTP logins, Searchsploit, and Metasploit to tackle this machine. Insights Vulnerability Scanning: Utilizing tools like Nmap to identify open ports and potential weaknesses in services on a target system. Exploitation Techniques: Employing both automated tools […]
OSINT For CTF
Passive Information Gathering in CTFs: A Deep Dive into Essential Tools and Techniques Introduction Passive information gathering is a vital phase in Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions. This preliminary reconnaissance step involves collecting data about a target or network without actively interacting with it. Successful CTF participants often use a range of tools and techniques […]
Riddles and Recon: Cybersecurity
When venturing into the realm of Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges, it’s often the simpler boxes that impart valuable lessons, especially for newcomers to the world of ethical hacking and cybersecurity. In this blog post, I’ll share my journey through a relatively easy CTF box, highlighting key tactics and techniques that anyone can benefit from. […]