Editorial - Hack The Box
Editorial is an easy difficulty Linux machine that features a publishing web application vulnerable to ‘Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)’. This vulnerability is leveraged to gain access to an internal running API, which is then leveraged to obtain credentials that lead to SSH access to the machine. Enumerating the system further reveals a Git repository that is leveraged to reveal credentials for a new user. The ‘root’ user can be obtained by exploiting CVE-2022-24439 and the sudo configuration.
Driver is an easy Windows machine that focuses on printer exploitation. Enumeration of the machine reveals that a web server is listening on port 80, along with SMB on port 445 and WinRM on port 5985. Navigation to the website reveals that it protected using basic HTTP authentication. While trying common credentials the ‘admin:admin’ credential is accepted and we are able to visit the webpage. The webpage provides a feature to upload printer firmwares on an SMB share for a remote team to test and verify. Uploading a Shell Command File that contains a command to fetch a remote file from our local machine, leads to the NTLM hash of the user ‘tony’ relayed back to us. Cracking the captured hash to retrieve a plaintext password we are able login as ‘tony’, using WinRM. Then, switching over to a meterpreter session it is discovered that the machine is vulnerable to a local privilege exploit that abuses a specific printer driver that is present on the remote machine. Using the exploit we can get a session as ‘NT...
Delivery is an easy difficulty Linux machine that features the support ticketing system osTicket where it is possible by using a technique called TicketTrick, a non-authenticated user to be granted with access to a temporary company email. This permits the registration at MatterMost and the join of internal team channel. It is revealed through that channel that users have been using same password variant "PleaseSubscribe!" for internal access. In channel it is also disclosed the credentials for the mail user which can give the initial foothold to the system. While enumerating the file system we come across the mattermost configuration file which reveals MySQL database credentials. By having access to the database a password hash can be extracted from Users table and crack it using the "PleaseSubscribe!" pattern. After cracking the hash it is possible to login as user root.
CozyHosting is an easy-difficulty Linux machine that features a ‘Spring Boot’ application. The application has the ‘Actuator’ endpoint enabled. Enumerating the endpoint leads to the discovery of a user's session cookie, leading to authenticated access to the main dashboard. The application is vulnerable to command injection, which is leveraged to gain a reverse shell on the remote machine. Enumerating the application ‘JAR’ file, hardcoded credentials are discovered and used to log into the local database. The database contains a hashed password, which once cracked is used to log into the machine as the user ‘josh’. The user is allowed to run ‘ssh’ as ‘root’, which is leveraged to fully escalate privileges.
Chemistry is an easy-difficulty Linux machine that showcases a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in the pymatgen (CVE-2024-23346) Python library by uploading a malicious CIF file to the hosted CIF Analyzer website on the target. After discovering and cracking hashes, we authenticate to the target via SSH as rosa user. For privilege escalation, we exploit a Path Traversal vulnerability that leads to an Arbitrary File Read in a Python library called AioHTTP (CVE-2024-23334) which is used on the web application running internally to read the root flag.
Cap is an easy difficulty Linux machine running an HTTP server that performs administrative functions including performing network captures. Improper controls result in Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) giving access to another user’s capture. The capture contains plaintext credentials and can be used to gain foothold. A Linux capability is then leveraged to escalate to root.
BoardLight is an easy difficulty Linux machine that features a Dolibarr instance vulnerable to CVE-2023-30253. This vulnerability is leveraged to gain access as www-data. After enumerating and dumping the web configuration file contents, plaintext credentials lead to SSH access to the machine. Enumerating the system, a SUID binary related to enlightenment is identified which is vulnerable to privilege escalation via CVE-2022-37706 and can be abused to leverage a root shell.
Blocky is fairly simple overall, and was based on a real-world machine. It demonstrates the risks of bad password practices as well as exposing internal files on a public facing system. On top of this, it exposes a massive potential attack vector: Minecraft. Tens of thousands of servers exist that are publicly accessible, with the vast majority being set up and configured by young and inexperienced system administrators.
Bashed is a fairly easy machine which focuses mainly on fuzzing and locating important files. As basic access to the crontab is restricted.
Antique is an easy Linux machine featuring a network printer disclosing credentials through SNMP string which allows logging into telnet service. Foothold can be obtained by exploiting a feature in printer. CUPS administration service running locally. This service can be exploited further to gain root access on the server.