80,443 - Pentesting Web Methodology

👉 Overview

👀 What ?

80,443 - Pentesting Web Methodology refers to a set of practices and techniques used by cybersecurity professionals to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in web applications that communicate over ports 80 and 443, the standard ports for HTTP and HTTPS respectively.

🧐 Why ?

Understanding and implementing this methodology is crucial for both protecting and testing the security of web applications. It provides a systematic approach to uncovering vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors, thereby allowing for the development of appropriate countermeasures.

⛏️ How ?

The methodology involves several stages, including reconnaissance (gathering information about the target), scanning (looking for vulnerabilities), gaining access (exploiting the vulnerabilities), maintaining access (ensuring continued control), and covering tracks (erasing evidence of the intrusion). Each stage requires specific strategies and tools, and thorough knowledge of web technologies and security principles.

⏳ When ?

The use of pentesting methodologies has become increasingly important with the rise of the internet and the proliferation of web applications. As these applications have become more complex and integral to business operations, so has the need to ensure their security.

⚙️ Technical Explanations

Web penetration testing, also known as pentesting, is a critical methodology used to identify and exploit potential vulnerabilities in web applications.

The process begins with reconnaissance, during which the tester gathers as much information as possible about the target system, including its network structure, active machines, open ports, and running services. Tools like Nmap and Nikto are commonly used for this purpose. Nmap is a network mapper tool that identifies active hosts and services on a network, while Nikto is a web server scanner that tests web servers for potentially dangerous files and programs.

Following reconnaissance is the scanning stage. During this stage, the tester uses tools like OpenVAS to scan for known vulnerabilities in the system. OpenVAS is a comprehensive vulnerability scanning and vulnerability management tool. It's crucial to note that scanning should be done meticulously to ensure all potential vulnerabilities are identified.

If vulnerabilities are identified during the scanning process, the tester then tries to exploit them in the next stage. This is done using tools like Metasploit, an advanced framework that houses a collection of exploit tools.

Upon successfully gaining access, the tester will try to maintain this access for as long as possible, often by escalating privileges or creating backdoors. This stage is vital for understanding the extent of damage that could be caused if a real attack were to occur.

Finally, the tester tries to erase any evidence of their activities to avoid detection. This could involve manipulating logs, using steganography to hide data, or other techniques.

Throughout the entire process, the pentester meticulously documents their findings, which is crucial for developing effective countermeasures. This documentation serves as a guide for the organization to understand where their vulnerabilities lie and how they can improve their security measures.

For example, imagine we are pentesting a hypothetical web application named "XYZ Corp".

1. Reconnaissance: The first step is to gather as much information as possible about XYZ Corp's system. We might use Nmap to scan the network: nmap -sS -p 1-65535 -T4 -A -v xyzcorp.com. This command performs a stealth SYN scan (sS) on all ports (p 1-65535) with aggressive timing (T4), enables OS detection, version detection, script scanning, and traceroute (A), and increases verbosity (v).
2. Scanning: After we've gathered initial data, we might use OpenVAS to perform a vulnerability scan: openvas-start. We log into the OpenVAS web interface, create a new target with XYZ Corp's IP information, and run the scan.
3. Gaining Access: Suppose OpenVAS identified a known vulnerability in XYZ Corp's system. We might then use Metasploit to exploit this vulnerability. First, we start Metasploit: msfconsole. Next, we search for an appropriate exploit module: search exploit_name. Then, we set the module: use exploit/exploit_name, and set the target IP: set RHOSTS target_ip. Finally, we launch the exploit: run.
4. Maintaining Access: If the exploit is successful, we have gained access to the system. Now, we need to ensure that we can maintain this access. This might involve creating a backdoor user in the system: adduser backdoor_user, or escalating our privileges: sudo su.
5. Covering Tracks: To erase evidence of our activities, we might clear the bash history: history -c, or manipulate logs: echo "" > /var/log/auth.log.
6. Documentation: Throughout this process, we document our findings, including the commands we ran, the outputs we received, and the vulnerabilities we identified. This documentation will be crucial for XYZ Corp to understand their security gaps and develop countermeasures.

Remember, these techniques should be used responsibly and ethically, and only on systems where you have explicit permission to do so.