Executive Report
High-level summary for non-technical stakeholders, including risks and mitigation strategies.
Security Assessment Report: "Pickle Rick" System
Purpose of the Report
This report documents a simulated security assessment conducted on the "Pickle Rick" system hosted on TryHackMe. The objective was to identify and exploit vulnerabilities to demonstrate potential attack vectors and highlight key areas for security improvement.
Executive Summary
During the security assessment of the "Pickle Rick" system, several critical vulnerabilities were identified that could be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access. These vulnerabilities include:
Exposed Admin Interface and Credential Disclosure: The administrative login page was accessible, with the username revealed in the page source and the robots.txt file suggesting potential passwords.
Weak Authentication Mechanisms: Despite attempts to brute-force SSH access, the focus shifted to the web interface where weak password practices enabled unauthorized access to an admin terminal.
Unrestricted Command Execution: The admin panel allowed command execution, which facilitated the retrieval of sensitive files (i.e., secret ingredients) and the deployment of a reverse shell.
Privilege Escalation Vulnerabilities: Once a foothold was established, unrestricted sudo access enabled complete system control, escalating privileges to root.
Impact
If these vulnerabilities were exploited in a real-world environment, they could severely compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system. An attacker could access sensitive administrative functionalities, retrieve critical data, and gain full control over the server, leading to potential data breaches and system manipulation.
Key Recommendations
Harden Administrative Interfaces: Implement multi-factor authentication and enforce robust login policies to prevent unauthorized access.
Strengthen Authentication Mechanisms: Replace weak passwords with strong, complex credentials and consider disabling unused services or protocols.
Restrict Command Execution: Limit the ability to execute system commands via web interfaces to reduce the risk of remote code execution.
Secure Privilege Configurations: Review and adjust sudo permissions to prevent unnecessary or insecure access, thereby mitigating privilege escalation risk
Methodology
The assessment followed a structured approach:
Reconnaissance: Identified open ports (HTTP on 80 and SSH on 22) using Nmap.
Enumeration: Analyzed web pages and source code (via browser and curl) to extract critical credentials and configuration hints.
Exploitation: Leveraged brute-force techniques with Hydra and directory enumeration with Dirbuster to gain access to the admin interface, followed by reverse shell deployment.
Privilege Escalation: Exploited unrestricted command execution and sudo configurations to escalate privileges to root.
Detailed Findings
Exposed Admin Interface and Credential Disclosure
Description: The web interface revealed a message from Rick and exposed the username R1ckRul3s in the source code. The robots.txt file further hinted at potential passwords.
Impact: This information facilitated targeted brute-force and directory enumeration attacks, enabling unauthorized access to administrative functions.
Weak Authentication Mechanisms
Description: While SSH did not support password authentication, the admin login page on port 80 was vulnerable to brute-force attacks due to weak password choices.
Impact: Exploiting this vulnerability allowed attackers to bypass authentication controls and access the admin panel.
Unrestricted Command Execution
Description: Once logged in, the admin interface provided a terminal capable of executing system commands. This allowed the retrieval of sensitive files using base64 decoding and other command-line utilities.
Impact: The ability to execute arbitrary commands paved the way for establishing a reverse shell, significantly expanding the attacker’s control.
Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Description: With an interactive reverse shell in place, the absence of proper sudo restrictions enabled the execution of
sudo /bin/bash, resulting in full root access.Impact: This vulnerability allowed complete system compromise, facilitating access to all sensitive data and system configurations.
Recommendations
Short-Term Actions
Harden the admin interface by enforcing multi-factor authentication and secure login practices.
Implement strong password policies and restrict command execution capabilities on web interfaces.
Adjust sudo permissions to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.
Long-Term Actions
Conduct regular security audits to identify and remediate configuration vulnerabilities.
Deploy continuous monitoring solutions to detect anomalous activities such as brute-force attempts and unauthorized command execution.
Enhance staff training on secure system administration and the latest cybersecurity best practices.
Conclusion
The security assessment of the "Pickle Rick" system revealed multiple critical vulnerabilities that pose significant security risks. Implementing the recommended measures will strengthen the system’s security posture, mitigate potential threats, and reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access. This exercise underscores the necessity of proactive security assessments and continuous improvements to maintain a resilient environment.
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