HackTheBox - Monitored

Step-by-Step Tutorial: HackTheBox - Monitored

1. Initial Enumeration:

   • Begin by running an Nmap scan with the following options:

     nmap -sC -sV -vv -oA monitor 10.10.11.248
     

   • Analyze the scan results to identify open ports and services running on the target machine.

2. Identifying Nagios Service:

   • Notice the presence of Nagios on port 80 and 443 during the Nmap scan.
   • Add the domain 10.10.11.248 monitor.htb to your host file for easier access.

3. Exploring Nagios Web Interface:

   • Visit http://10.10.11.248 in your browser and accept the SSL certificate.
   • Log in using default credentials like nagios:nagios or nagiosadmin:nagiosadmin.

4. Brute-Forcing Credentials:

   • Use a tool like wfuzz to brute-force credentials on the Nagios login page.

     wfuzz -w /path/to/wordlist.txt -u http://n.m.monitor.htb/ -d "username=FUZZ&password=nagios" --hl 11
     

5. Enumerating SNMP:

   • Use SNMP tools like snmpwalk to gather information about the target system.

     snmpwalk -v2c -c public 10.10.11.248
     

6. Exploiting SQL Injection:

   • Exploit the SQL injection vulnerability in Nagios to extract sensitive information.
   • Craft SQL queries to extract data from the database tables like nagio XI.

7. Creating a New Admin User:

   • Use the obtained information to create a new admin user in Nagios.
   • Access the Nagios dashboard with the new credentials.

8. Creating a Reverse Shell:

   • Configure a health check in Nagios to execute a reverse shell command.
   • Trigger the health check to gain a reverse shell on the target machine.

9. Privilege Escalation:

   • Identify and exploit a vulnerable cron job or service to escalate privileges.
   • Replace binaries or scripts with malicious payloads to gain root access.

10. Maintaining Access:

    • Ensure persistence by setting up a backdoor or modifying system configurations.
    • Monitor the system for any changes or attempts to remove your access.

11. Cleanup and Exit:

    • Once you have completed your objectives, remove any traces of your activities on the target machine.
    • Exit the system securely to maintain the integrity of the target environment.

12. Conclusion:

    • Congratulations! You have successfully exploited the "Monitored" machine on HackTheBox.
    • Reflect on the techniques used and lessons learned during the penetration testing process.