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Symmetric Encryption

Overview

Hey there! In this write-up, I'm going to walk you through the process I followed while working on the Blue VM exercise. The goal here is to learn about vulnerability scanning and exploitation techniques in a controlled environment. I’ll be covering the steps I took to identify vulnerabilities, exploit them, escalate my privileges, and eventually capture some flags. So, grab a coffee, and let’s dive in!

Key Information

First things first, I had to scan the Blue VM, which is a Windows-based machine designed for learning purposes. Right off the bat, I noticed the machine doesn’t respond to ping (ICMP), and it might take a bit longer to boot up.

My task was to identify open ports (less than 1000) and look for known vulnerabilities. One key vulnerability I targeted was MS17-010, better known as EternalBlue. This vulnerability is widely known for being exploitable via the Metasploit framework, which makes identifying and exploiting the vulnerability much easier. So, let me break down the key steps here.

Notes

Now that I’ve identified a potential vulnerability, it was time to exploit it. The MS17-010 EternalBlue vulnerability was a perfect target. Here's how I did it:

  1. Set RHOSTS: This is where I set the target IP address (RHOSTS) of the Blue machine. If you’ve worked with Metasploit before, you know that setting the target IP is crucial.

  2. Set Payload: I needed to choose the right payload. I went with windows/x64/shell/reverse_tcp. This payload opens a reverse TCP shell, which is useful for maintaining a connection with the target system.

  3. Run Exploit: After configuring the settings, I ran the exploit. If successful, it gives me access to the target system via a DOS shell. It worked like a charm!

  4. Troubleshooting: Sometimes, the exploit didn’t work on the first try. If that happens, I simply rebooted the target machine and tried running the exploit again. It’s always a good practice to retry if the initial attempt fails.

Conclusion

So, that’s how I tackled the Blue VM exercise! This was a great hands-on approach to learning about vulnerability scanning, exploitation, privilege escalation, and cracking passwords on a Windows machine. The Blue VM is perfect for beginners, and it really helped me understand common attack vectors like EternalBlue, privilege escalation, and password cracking.

By now, you should have a good understanding of the techniques involved in penetration testing. As you move on to more complex environments, these foundational skills will come in handy. If you’re just starting with penetration testing, this is an excellent first step!

Happy hacking, and I hope this guide helps you in your learning journey!

Resources

Good luck, and keep learning!

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