Speaker 1: All right, let's dive in. Today. We're cracking open The
Speaker 1: Hacker Playbook two, a guide for aspiring penetration testers. It's
Speaker 1: like a VIP pass to the world of ethical hacking
Speaker 1: without all the code crunching marathons. You know. This deep
Speaker 1: dive is your shortcut to understanding the tactics and tools,
Speaker 1: the real deal, what pros use, what's super cool? This
Speaker 1: book throws you right into a scenario. Imagine you're hired
Speaker 1: to test the security of Secure Universal cyber Kittens, Inc.
Speaker 1: Yeah you got that right, SCCK.
Speaker 2: For sure.
Speaker 1: It's pretty memorable. Makes the learning way more hands on,
Speaker 1: don't you think?
Speaker 2: Absolutely?
Speaker 1: Yeah.
Speaker 2: The author years of experience under their belt penetration testing
Speaker 2: across the board, financial utilities, even government. They've seen it all,
Speaker 2: so they really know how to break it down. You know,
Speaker 2: complex stuff made simple and using this fictional company seck
Speaker 2: is the target. Well, it keeps things interesting for sure.
Speaker 1: Now I got admit I'm really hooked on this football analogy.
Speaker 1: The book uses different stages of a penetration test. Explain
Speaker 1: like a game plan, Go learn some digital blitzing, right, Uh.
Speaker 2: Huh, Yeah, you could say that the book compares each
Speaker 2: stage you see two phases of a football game. You
Speaker 2: got the setup phase that's recon gathering intel like a
Speaker 2: team scouting their opponent. Then there's the drive where you
Speaker 2: exploit those vulnerabilities, get a foothold, moving the ball down
Speaker 2: the field, and it keeps going like that.
Speaker 1: Okay, so let's huddle up here, break down this setup phase.
Speaker 1: What's the game plan for reconnaissance?
Speaker 2: Then reconnaissance, it all starts with OSENT open source intelligence,
Speaker 2: gathering info, publicly available stuff. You'd be amazed the amount
Speaker 2: of information just out there waiting to be discovered.
Speaker 1: So like a digital detective game, piecing together clues, but
Speaker 1: from public info exactly.
Speaker 2: And there are tools for that streamline the whole process. Discover,
Speaker 2: for one, automate searches, DNS records, Google, even social media
Speaker 2: gives you a complete picture.
Speaker 1: So with Discover, you're basically casting a wide net, right, Yeah,
Speaker 1: what other tools are in the playbook.
Speaker 2: There's spiderfoot incredibly fast, pulls in tons of ocent data, websites,
Speaker 2: employee profiles, anything out there, a great way to get
Speaker 2: to get a feel for the landscape quickly.
Speaker 1: Sounds like both Discover and spiderfot they give you a
Speaker 1: broad view. But what about say, more targeted Intel something
Speaker 1: to help like crack passwords.
Speaker 2: That's where brute scrape and wordhound come in. Analyze websites,
Speaker 2: social media, all that to extract keywords, products, services, employee names.
Speaker 2: All of it helps create a custom password list, way
Speaker 2: more effective than just using generic ones.
Speaker 1: Oh clever, wouldn't have thought about that. Keywords. Seemingly random
Speaker 1: stuff can actually be valuable. Speaking of code, you mentioned
Speaker 1: GitHub earlier. I thought that was just for developers.
Speaker 2: It is, but can also be a gold mine for
Speaker 2: well for us. That's where git trop comes in. Analyzes
Speaker 2: public repositories those on GitHub looking for sensitive info, stuff
Speaker 2: that might have been leaked accidentally, passwords, apikeys, internal docs.
Speaker 2: Developers sometimes commit sensitive stuff without realizing.
Speaker 1: Good reminder for everyone out there, double check your own
Speaker 1: repos Yeah, so you got discover spiderfoot, Brud's great wordhound
Speaker 1: git trop. This is all passive recon right. Does the
Speaker 1: setup also involve more active scanning, getting a bit more
Speaker 1: hands on?
Speaker 2: Absolutely, Once you've got your initial Intel time to get
Speaker 2: more well proactive. Mascan is great for that. Blazing fast
Speaker 2: scans tons of IP addresses, checks for open ports, running services.
Speaker 1: Why is speed so important here? What makes mass can
Speaker 1: stand out from say map Speed is.
Speaker 2: Key when you're dealing with potentially millions of IP addresses.
Speaker 2: That's what masscan is built for. It's got this this
Speaker 2: custom TCPI kistack optimized for sending and receiving packet's super
Speaker 2: quick and maps like a detective meticulous right. Mass can
Speaker 2: is a swarm of drones covering vast areas quickly.
Speaker 1: So masscan is the go to when you need to
Speaker 1: cover a lot of ground. Once you've identified potential entry points,
Speaker 1: what happens next?
Speaker 2: Then we bring in tools like Sparta. It's like a
Speaker 2: multi tool combines vulnerability scanning with other tools. For example,
Speaker 2: it integrates nikto finds vulnerabilities on web servers, even takes
Speaker 2: screenshots of webs applications.
Speaker 1: Screenshots. I'm curious about those. It sounds a bit a
Speaker 1: bit like something out of a spy movie. Haha.
Speaker 2: It might sound surprising, but visual recon can be super valuable.
Speaker 2: Tools like eyewitness and wmap, even HTTP screenshot reveal a
Speaker 2: lot about the target's environment. Think of it as a
Speaker 2: gathering clues visually their systems, the tech they use, even
Speaker 2: software versions, the specifics these details can be crucial later on.
Speaker 1: So you're building a digital blueprint their whole network. We've
Speaker 1: covered a lot in this setup phase. It's this careful
Speaker 1: balance passive and active recon using all these different tools,
Speaker 1: gathering all the info you can before making your move.
Speaker 1: But I got a feeling things are about to get
Speaker 1: a lot more intense as we move to the next phase,
Speaker 1: the drive. Ready to start exploiting those vulnerabilities we are.
Speaker 2: We've scouted the field, identified our targets. Now it's time
Speaker 2: to execute that play. Get a foothold in their network.
Speaker 1: Okay, so we spent some time in the huddle, Yeah,
Speaker 1: mapping out their network, figuring out the players. Now it's
Speaker 1: time for the drive. This is where we see if
Speaker 1: those plays, you know, actually get us past the defense
Speaker 1: onto the field. Tell me more about this exploitation phase.
Speaker 1: How does it all? How does it all work?
Speaker 2: The drive? It's all about taking what we've learned in
Speaker 2: recon using it to find to find those weak spots.
Speaker 2: Like a football team analyzing the opponent's weaknesses, finding the
Speaker 2: perfect play. We're looking for vulnerabilities, those chinks in the
Speaker 2: armor that we can we can leverage to get in.
Speaker 1: It sounds like this phase it needs a deep understanding
Speaker 1: how systems work where those vulnerabilities might be hiding. Are
Speaker 1: there are there specific types that are commonly exploited in
Speaker 1: this phase? Like what are we looking for?
Speaker 2: There are, yeah, and sometimes they're in places you wouldn't expect.
Speaker 2: Like let's talk warf FTP. It's an FTP server and
Speaker 2: like any software, it can have, you know, vulnerabilities. Imagine
Speaker 2: an attacker they find a weakness in a specific version
Speaker 2: of WARFTP. Right, they could search online find code, a
Speaker 2: publicly available code that exploits that vulnerability. With a few
Speaker 2: tweaks they could they could potentially gain control of the
Speaker 2: whole server.
Speaker 1: So it's like finding that skeleton key that fits a
Speaker 1: specific lock. But aren't FTP servers a bit I don't know,
Speaker 1: old school do people even use those anymore?
Speaker 2: You'd be surprised older tech. It tends to linger on
Speaker 2: networks forgotten but still vulnerable. And you know what they say,
Speaker 2: the most overlooked areas those are the most vulnerable. Take
Speaker 2: printers for.
Speaker 1: Example, printers. I wouldn't think of a printer as a
Speaker 1: security risk, Like what could they do?
Speaker 2: Think again, a lot of modern printers, their network devices,
Speaker 2: especially those MFPs multifunction printers everyone seems to have one.
Speaker 2: If they're not secured properly, they can be a back
Speaker 2: door into the whole network. Imagine an attacker gets into
Speaker 2: the printer's management console. They could capture LDP credentials potentially LDP.
Speaker 1: Can you remind me what that is? Again? Just to
Speaker 1: refresh my memory.
Speaker 2: LDP stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. Basically, it's a
Speaker 2: directory service for user accounts, used a lot in corporate
Speaker 2: environments managing access to resources. All that, if a printer
Speaker 2: is configured to use LDPP for authentication, well, an attacker
Speaker 2: with those credentials they might get access to other systems
Speaker 2: on the network.
Speaker 1: You see, So even a harmless device like a printer
Speaker 1: can't become a risk. Good reminder security needs to be
Speaker 1: considered for everything on the network, not just the obvious stuff.
Speaker 1: Any other examples of I don't know, surprising vulnerabilities that
Speaker 1: come to mind.
Speaker 2: You mentioned big name vulnerabilities earlier. One that definitely made
Speaker 2: headlines a few years back. Heart bleed exploited a flaw
Speaker 2: in open SSL, pretty widely used software.
Speaker 1: Library parply Yeah, I vaguely remember that. Why was it
Speaker 1: such a.
Speaker 2: Big deal again open SSL, it's used for encryption all
Speaker 2: over the internet. Heart bleed it basically allowed attackers to
Speaker 2: read parts of a server's memory, like peeking into the
Speaker 2: server's brain, seeing sensitive info, passwords, private keys, even confidential documents,
Speaker 2: all kinds of stuff.
Speaker 1: So not only could they steal information, but also eavesdrop
Speaker 1: on communications right right which we're supposed to be secure.
Speaker 1: That's a pretty pretty serious flaw is and.
Speaker 2: What made heart bleeds so impactful It affected a huge
Speaker 2: range of systems web servers, email servers, VPNs, you name it,
Speaker 2: and the irony many it admins. They were connecting to
Speaker 2: VPNs to patch their systems, making them easy targets.
Speaker 1: Wow, so they were basically walking right into the trap.
Speaker 1: Talk about adding insult to injury. Heartbreed really showed us
Speaker 1: how a single vulnerability in widely used software can have
Speaker 1: such a massive impact exactly.
Speaker 2: And another example another vulnerability that exploited weaknesses in common
Speaker 2: software was shell shock. This one targeted Bash, a Unix
Speaker 2: shell used on lots of web servers.
Speaker 1: How they won't work?
Speaker 2: Shell shock it allowed attackers to inject commands into web
Speaker 2: server requests, potentially giving them control of the server. What
Speaker 2: made it so dangerous It was relatively easy to exploit
Speaker 2: and many systems were vulnerable.
Speaker 1: So again, a vulnerability and a common component can ripple
Speaker 1: out affects so many systems.
Speaker 2: Let's shift gears a bit. You mentioned GET repository hacking earlier.
Speaker 2: What exactly is that? Right? So GET it's a version
Speaker 2: control system. Developers use it to track changes in their code.
Speaker 2: Incredibly useful tool. But if a GIT repository is misconfigured,
Speaker 2: oh boy, it can be a gold mine for attackers.
Speaker 2: If it's accidentally made public or doesn't have proper access controls,
Speaker 2: attackers can just just download the entire code, based passwords,
Speaker 2: API keys, even deleted files everything.
Speaker 1: It's like a digital time machine for hackers. They can
Speaker 1: see the whole history of the code.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: What about databases? I know there are different types like
Speaker 1: SQL and noseql. Are those susceptible to.
Speaker 2: Attacks to Absolutely? We often hear about SQL injection, but
Speaker 2: no SQL databases like Mango dB they're vulnerable too. These
Speaker 2: types of attacks can allow attackers to bypass security, steal data,
Speaker 2: even take control of the database server.
Speaker 1: So basically every component from servers to databases, even seemingly
Speaker 1: harmless things like printers can be a weak point, and
Speaker 1: once an attacker gains that initial foothold, I imagine the
Speaker 1: real game begins.
Speaker 2: Right, you're right, gaining access, It's just the first step.
Speaker 2: Attackers want to to make sure they can stay in
Speaker 2: maintain their access even if that initial entry point is
Speaker 2: discovered and closed. This is where the persistence phase comes
Speaker 2: in the next stage at the penetration test.
Speaker 1: So the attackers made it onto the field, scored their
Speaker 1: first touchdown, but the game's not over yet.
Speaker 2: Is it not even close? Think of it this way.
Speaker 2: In football, after a touchdown, the team doesn't just leave, right,
Speaker 2: They have to keep playing. Same goes for penetration testing attackers.
Speaker 2: They want to establish a persistent presence, make sure they
Speaker 2: can come back even if that initial access is revoked.
Speaker 1: Okay, so they're in, right, they gether foot in the door,
Speaker 1: scored that first touchdown, but the game's not over. They
Speaker 1: got to stay on the field, keep that access. How
Speaker 1: do they do that? What are the tactics for persistence?
Speaker 2: Well, one common tactic is creating backdoor accounts, Essentially hidden
Speaker 2: user accounts give the attacker ongoing access even if their
Speaker 2: initial entry point gets shut down. They can use tools
Speaker 2: like powersploit create these accounts, often with elevated privileges, you know,
Speaker 2: lets them operate with more freedom inside the network.
Speaker 1: Because it's like planting a secret agent inside the organization,
Speaker 1: ready to open the back door whenever exactly.
Speaker 2: Another method exploiting vulnerable services. They might change the configuration
Speaker 2: so their malicious code automatically runs every time the system reboots,
Speaker 2: like setting a trap.
Speaker 1: Wow, these are These are pretty clever and kind of unsettling.
Speaker 1: Makes you realize how persistent they can be once they're
Speaker 1: in any other any other persistence methods that did stand
Speaker 1: out Carbero's attacks.
Speaker 2: Carberos is an authentication protocol used a lot in corporate environments.
Speaker 2: Attackers can exploit weaknesses in Carberos to get what are
Speaker 2: called golden tickets or skeleton keys.
Speaker 1: So sound those sounds straight out of a spy movie.
Speaker 1: What are those exactly and why are these so valuable
Speaker 1: to attackers?
Speaker 2: Think of them as master keys long term access to
Speaker 2: the network. Even if passwords get changed, an attacker with
Speaker 2: a golden ticket or a skeleton key, they might still
Speaker 2: bypass security keep their access.
Speaker 1: Still that's that's a nightmare scenario for any security admin
Speaker 1: shows you patching vulnerabilities is key, but also strong security
Speaker 1: measures like multi factor authentication to minimize the impact if
Speaker 1: something like this happens.
Speaker 2: Okay, so let's say and attackers managed to get that persistence,
Speaker 2: what's next? Do they just start I don't know, wreaking havoc?
Speaker 1: Not necessarily a skilled attacker. They often try to stay
Speaker 1: under the radar for as long as possible. They don't
Speaker 1: want to trigger any alarms while they're gathering more info,
Speaker 1: expanding their access, maybe even preparing for bigger attack. This
Speaker 1: is where the evasion phase comes in. It's all about stealth,
Speaker 1: covering your tracks, making it seem like you were never
Speaker 1: even there.
Speaker 2: So if the drive is about getting onto the field,
Speaker 2: evasion is about moving silently, staying out of the spotlight.
Speaker 2: What are some techniques for evading detection? Anti virus? Evasion
Speaker 2: attackers use different tools, different techniques to create malware that
Speaker 2: can slip past antivirus software. They might obfuscate the code,
Speaker 2: disguise it so it's not detected.
Speaker 1: Like creating a digital smoke screen to hide their moods.
Speaker 1: But what about network traffic? Surely security tools can can
Speaker 1: pick up suspicious activity, right.
Speaker 2: They can, but attackers have ways to hide there too.
Speaker 2: They might blend their traffic in with legitimate communication, make
Speaker 2: it harder to spot or use encryption, so their traffic
Speaker 2: just looks like gibberish.
Speaker 1: Yeah, basically speaking in code then asking their intentions. What
Speaker 1: about logs? Don't systems keep track of everything? Can't those
Speaker 1: be used to trace the attackers' activity?
Speaker 2: Logs are valuable for sure, but attackers know that they
Speaker 2: often try to cover their tracks by deleting or changing
Speaker 2: log entries. It's like erasing their footprints in the digital sand.
Speaker 1: So even with all these security measures, anti virus, network monitoring,
Speaker 1: log analysis, a determined attacker can still still find ways
Speaker 1: to avoid detection. That's a bit unnerving.
Speaker 2: It is a constant cat and mouse game. Yeah, Attackers
Speaker 2: develop new techniques, defenders have to keep up stay ahead.
Speaker 1: So what's the key takeaway here? What can we learn
Speaker 1: from from all this exploration of penetration testing.
Speaker 2: I'd say the big takeaway is that cybersecurity it's an
Speaker 2: ongoing process. It's not set it and forget it. It's
Speaker 2: continuous improvement, patching vulnerabilities, strong security measures, active monitoring, and
Speaker 2: being prepared to respond if an attack does happen.
Speaker 1: It's dynamic. You got to be vigilant, adapt to the
Speaker 1: changing threats like a game of chess, always thinking a
Speaker 1: few moves ahead. This deep dive has been wow, really insightful,
Speaker 1: a glintse into this world of penetration testing, seeing the
Speaker 1: tactics both sides use, and it reminds us to truly
Speaker 1: defend against attacks. You got to understand how the attackers think.
Speaker 2: Exactly, and that's where resources like the Hacker Playbook too,
Speaker 2: they're so valuable. They give you that insight practical into
Speaker 2: the tools, the techniques, essential reading for anyone in cybersecurity really,
Speaker 2: whether you're aspiring to be a penetration tester or a
Speaker 2: season pro, or just someone who wants to understand the threats.
Speaker 1: Well said, As we wrap up this deep dive, I'm
Speaker 1: left with one one final question. If you were a
Speaker 1: penetration tester, what kind of attack would you launch? Oh?
Speaker 2: That's a tough one, so many possibilities. The best approach
Speaker 2: it always depends right on the target, the goals of
Speaker 2: the test. But I think often the most effective attacks
Speaker 2: are the simplest ones, the ones that exploit not technical vulnerabilities,
Speaker 2: but human weaknesses.
Speaker 1: You mean like social engineering exactly.
Speaker 2: Social engineering praise on trust, curiosity, fear, all of that.
Speaker 2: It can be incredibly effective because it bypasses all those
Speaker 2: technical defenses. A good phishing email, for example, it can
Speaker 2: trick even the most security conscious person.
Speaker 1: So the human element that's often the weakest link. It's
Speaker 1: a sobering thought, but important to remember. We've got to
Speaker 1: be just as vigilant about our own habits as we
Speaker 1: are about the technical defenses.
Speaker 2: Couldn't agree more security it's everyone's responsibility. Starts with awareness,
Speaker 2: with education. The more we understand the threats, the tactics,
Speaker 2: the better prepared will be to defend ourselves our organizations.
Speaker 1: Great note to end On, Thanks for joining us for
Speaker 1: this deep dive into the world of penetration testing. We
Speaker 1: hope you found it informative and, as you said, little
Speaker 1: bit eye opening. Until next time, stay curious, stay vigilant,
Speaker 1: and most importantly, stay safe out there.
Speaker 2: And keep learning. Always something new to discover in this
Speaker 2: ever evolving world of cybersecurity.