In this lesson, we're going to discuss Caldera
and how it can be used to automate
breach and attack simulation during a penetration test.
As a pentester, we're always looking for tools
that can help us simulate real-world attacks
efficiently and effectively.
And Caldera is just one of those tools designed
with automation and realism in mind.
Now, Caldera is an open source platform developed by MITRE
that focuses on automating adversary emulation,
is built on a MITRE attack framework,
which is a comprehensive matrix of tactics
and techniques used by threat actors
doing real-world cyber attacks.
What makes Caldera particularly valuable is its ability
to simulate these attacks in a controlled environment,
allowing us to test and evaluate
the security posture of our organization.
Let's start with a basic understanding of what breach
and attack simulation (BAS) is.
BAS tools like Caldera are designed to mimic the actions
of attackers as they attempt to breach a network
and move laterally within it.
Now, these tools help identify weaknesses
and security controls such as missing patches,
misconfigurations, or inadequate monitoring.
The goal is to highlight vulnerabilities
before an actual attacker can exploit them.
Caldera automates this process by allowing you
to create and execute scenarios
that replicate specific attack patterns.
This is done through a modular architecture
where different plugins called abilities can be combined
to form complex attack chains.
Each ability corresponds to a specific technique
from the MITRE attack framework,
such as privilege escalation, lateral movement,
or data exfiltration.
Now, to use Caldera effectively in a pentest,
you would typically start
by setting up a virtual environment
that mirrors your target network.
You can then deploy Caldera agents on the systems
within this environment.
These agents are responsible for executing
the simulated attacks as instructed by the Caldera server.
For example, if you wanted to simulate a phishing attack
that's all about credential dumping
and lateral movement, you could configure a scenario
in Caldera that change these abilities together.
The process might look something like this.
First, gain initial access.
We'll simulate a phishing email, that when "clicked,"
runs a script that gains access to the target machine.
Second, perform credential dumping.
Using tools like Mimikatz to extract passwords
and hashes from a compromised system.
This is how we could perform credential dumping.
And lastly, attempt lateral movement.
We would then attempt to move
to other machines within a network
using the stolen credentials from Mimikatz,
and replicating what a real attacker might do
after gaining a foothold.
Each of these steps is executed automatically
by the Caldera agents,
and the results are reported back to the server.
This automation allows you to quickly assess
how well the network defenses hold up
against various attack vectors
without manually executing each step.
Caldera also provides detailed logs and reports
which can be invaluable when you're analyzing
the results of your penetration test.
These reports show which attacks were successful,
where they were stopped,
and what potential vulnerabilities were exploited.
This information is important
for providing useful recommendations to your clients
and how to improve their security posture.
Another key advantage of Caldera is its ability
to run these simulations repeatedly
and under different conditions.
For example, you might want to test the effectiveness
of a new security control by running the same attack
before and after it's implemented.
Caldera makes it easy to automate this process,
ensuring consistent results,
and allowing you to measure the impact
of security improvements.
So remember, Caldera is a great tool for automating breach
and attack simulations, making it easier for us
to conduct realistic penetration tests
that accurately reflect the tactics used
by real-world attackers.
By integrating Caldera into your testing process,
you could streamline your workflow,
focus on analyzing results,
and ultimately, provide more value to your clients
by identifying and addressing critical vulnerabilities
in their security defenses.