Executive Report
High-level summary for non-technical stakeholders, including risks and mitigation strategies.
Security Assessment Report: "Mr Robot" System
Purpose of the Report
The purpose of this report is to summarize the results of a security assessment conducted on the Mr. Robot virtual machine. The challenge focused on identifying and retrieving three hidden keys located within the system. The machine provided various vulnerabilities that were leveraged to escalate privileges and gain full control over the system.
Executive Summary
The machine was targeted using a combination of techniques including reconnaissance, brute-forcing, web shell exploitation, and privilege escalation.
The system had three hidden keys, all of which were discovered through systematic exploitation.
Key vulnerabilities included weak credentials, outdated software, and misconfigured permissions.
The machine was successfully rooted, and all hidden keys were retrieved.
Impact
The vulnerabilities found in the Mr. Robot machine would allow an attacker to:
Gain unauthorized access to the system by exploiting weak credentials.
Exploit outdated software to escalate privileges.
Read sensitive files or gain full control of the system if proper mitigations are not in place.
The exploitation of these weaknesses could result in the compromise of the machine’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Key Recommendations
Regularly update software to fix known vulnerabilities.
Ensure that sensitive files, such as configuration files and password hashes, are properly secured.
Implement strong password policies and protect against brute-force attacks.
Review and correctly configure file and directory permissions to avoid unauthorized access.
Methodology
Conducted a network scan to identify open ports and services.
Performed web-based reconnaissance to find hidden files and directories.
Brute-forced WordPress login credentials using a dictionary file.
Exploited an outdated Nmap binary with SUID permissions for privilege escalation.
Retrieved hidden keys by accessing various files and cracking password hashes.
Detailed Findings
Port Scanning and Web Reconnaissance:
Identified open ports: 22 (SSH), 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS).
Discovered a hidden dictionary file (
fsocity.dic) in the robots.txt file on the HTTP server.
Credential Brute-Forcing:
Used the dictionary file to attempt brute-force login to the WordPress site.
Identified the username “Elliot” with the password “ER28-0652.”
Web Shell Exploitation:
Injected a reverse shell payload into a vulnerable
404.phppage in WordPress.Gained access to the machine and initiated a reverse shell connection.
Key Retrieval:
Discovered the second hidden key in
/home/robot/but needed to crack the MD5 password hash to gain access.Cracked the hash for the
robotuser and retrieved the second key.
Privilege Escalation:
Found an outdated version of Nmap installed with SUID permissions.
Used the vulnerability to escalate to root and retrieve the third key.
Recommendations
Short-term Actions:
Update all software to the latest versions to address known vulnerabilities.
Implement strong access control policies and protect sensitive files.
Audit and correctly configure SUID permissions to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.
Long-term Actions:
Regularly review security practices and perform vulnerability assessments.
Develop and enforce strong password policies for all systems and applications.
Implement a web application firewall (WAF) to prevent common web-based attacks.
Conclusion
The assessment of the Mr. Robot machine was successfully completed, with all hidden keys retrieved. By leveraging a variety of techniques, including brute-forcing, web shell exploitation, and privilege escalation, the machine was rooted and all objectives were met. The findings highlight the importance of securing sensitive files, regularly updating software, and properly configuring system permissions to protect against unauthorized access and privilege escalation.
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