How to use Burp Suite for Spidering and Forced Browsing

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through using Burp Suite for spidering a target website and discovering new content through forced browsing. These techniques are essential for web application security testing, allowing you to gather information about the structure and content of a site.

Step 1: Setting Up Burp Suite

• Download and install Burp Suite from the official PortSwigger website.
• Launch Burp Suite and set up a new project.
• Configure your browser to use Burp Suite as a proxy:
  • Go to your browser's network settings.
  • Set the HTTP proxy to 127.0.0.1 and port 8080.
• Ensure that your browser traffic is being intercepted by Burp Suite.

Step 2: Spidering the Target Site

• Go to the Target tab in Burp Suite.
• Add your target website by right-clicking on "Target" and selecting "Add to scope".
• Navigate to the "Spider" tab.
• Initiate the spidering process:
  • Right-click on the target URL.
  • Select "Spider this host".
• Monitor the spidering progress in the "Spider" tab.

Tips for Effective Spidering

• Ensure you have permission to test the site to avoid legal issues.
• Adjust spidering options in the settings to focus on specific areas of interest.

Step 3: Discovering New Content with Forced Browsing

• Navigate to the "Discover Content" feature in Burp Suite.
• Configure the Forced Browsing settings:
  • Choose a wordlist that contains potential directories and file names.
• Start the forced browsing scan:
  • Right-click on the target URL.
  • Select "Discover Content" and then initiate the scan.
• Review the results for newly discovered content, including hidden directories and files.

Practical Advice for Forced Browsing

• Use a comprehensive wordlist; common ones include those from the SecLists repository.
• Be aware of rate limiting or blocking mechanisms that might trigger on the target site.

Step 4: Analyzing the Results

• After both spidering and forced browsing are complete, review the findings in Burp Suite:
  • Check the "Site Map" for newly discovered URLs and endpoints.
  • Analyze the content for vulnerabilities or areas to further test.
• Utilize the "Intruder" or "Repeater" tools in Burp Suite to test specific endpoints for security flaws.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to set up Burp Suite for spidering and forced browsing, essential techniques for web application security assessment. By systematically analyzing your target site, you can uncover valuable information that may expose security vulnerabilities. Remember to use these tools ethically and only on sites you have permission to test. Happy testing!