SMB Hacking
Posted inScanning and Analysis

SMB Hacking

SMB (Server Message Block) is a widely used protocol on Windows systems that offers various paths for vertical and lateral movement within a network. Samba allows Linux and Unix distributions to utilize the SMB protocol.
Nginx Hacking
Posted inScanning and Analysis

Nginx Hacking

Nginx is regarded as a secure, high-performance web server and reverse proxy, but its real-world security depends heavily on how it is configured and maintained. By default, Nginx includes several security controls, such as rate limiting and access controls, which help mitigate common threats like DDoS attacks and unauthorized access. However, like any widely deployed software, Nginx is not immune to vulnerabilities and requires regular updates and security hardening to remain secure.
NFS Hacking
Posted inScanning and Analysis

NFS Hacking

Network File System (NFS), developed by Sun Microsystems, serves a similar purpose to SMB, enabling access to file systems over a network as if they were local. NFS is primarily used between Linux and Unix systems, preventing direct communication between NFS clients and SMB servers. While NFSv3, which has been widely adopted, authenticates client computers, NFSv4 introduces a change, similar to the Windows SMB protocol, requiring user authentication. A notable advantage of NFSv4 over its predecessors is its simplicity in utilizing only one UDP or TCP port (2049), which simplifies the protocol’s use across firewalls.
IMAP/POP3 Hacking
Posted inScanning and Analysis

IMAP/POP3 Hacking

Unlike POP3, IMAP allows for online management of emails directly on the server and supports folder structures. IMAP is a network protocol designed for the management of emails on a remote server. In contrast, POP3 has limited functionality; it only offers features for listing, retrieving, and deleting emails on the email server.
Machine learning glossary
Posted inAI/Machine Learning

Machine learning glossary

Machine learning (ML) is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) that focuses on developing computer systems capable of learning from data, identifying patterns, and making decisions or predictions with minimal human intervention. Instead of being explicitly programmed with step-by-step instructions for every task, a machine learning system is designed to improve its performance automatically as it is exposed to more data and experience.
So what exactly what is a “shell” and why do hackers love them so much?
Posted inExploitation

So what exactly what is a “shell” and why do hackers love them so much?

Once we compromise a system and exploit a vulnerability to execute commands on the compromised hosts remotely, we usually need a method of communicating with the system. To enumerate the system or take further control over it or within its network, we need a reliable connection that gives us direct access to the system’s shell, i.e., Bash or PowerShell, so we can thoroughly investigate the remote system for our next move. One method of accessing a compromised host for control and remote code execution is through shells.
All about privilege escalation
Posted inExploitation

All about privilege escalation

Our initial access to a remote server is usually in the context of a low-privileged user, which would not give us complete access over the box. For example, some commands (like tcpdump) cannot be run via sudo and can only be run by the root user. To gain full access, we will need to find an internal/local vulnerability that would escalate our privileges to the root user on Linux or the administrator/SYSTEM user on Windows.
nmap quick notes
Posted inScanning and Analysis

nmap quick notes

Nmap (short for “Network Mapper”) is a free and open-source utility designed for network discovery and security auditing. Created by Gordon Lyon (also known as Fyodor Vaskovich), Nmap is widely used by cybersecurity professionals, network administrators, and system administrators to map out networks, discover hosts and services, and assess network security.
Cracking zip file passwords using John the Ripper tool.
Posted inEncryption

Cracking zip file passwords using John the Ripper tool.

John the Ripper is a widely used open-source password cracking utility designed for password security auditing and recovery. Its primary function is to test the strength of passwords by attempting to crack password hashes using various attack methods, such as brute-force, dictionary, and hybrid attacks.