In this lesson, we're going to explore
a lateral movement within a network using HTTP
and HTTPS web interfaces.
These web interfaces are often used
for managing devices and services,
but they can provide a valuable foothold for attackers
seeking to move laterally through a network.
By understanding how these interfaces can be exploited,
you can better defend your network
and perform more effective pen tests.
Now, when we're talking about web interfaces,
we're referring to the management consoles
and administrative panels that many devices
and services expose over HTTP or HTTPS.
These can include routers, switches, printers,
IP cameras, web applications,
and various enterprise systems
like Content Management Systems (CMS)
or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms.
As pen testers, we need to be aware
of the potential weaknesses in these interfaces
and how they can be leveraged for lateral movement.
Let's start by identifying potential targets.
During the reconnaissance phase of a penetration test,
you might use tools like Nmap or Nessus
to scan the network for open ports and services.
Look for ports 80 and 443,
which are typically used for HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
Once you've identified these devices
and services running web interfaces,
you can begin probing them for vulnerabilities.
One common vulnerability in web interfaces
is weak or default credentials.
Many devices come with default usernames
and passwords like "admin/admin" or "root/root."
Manufacturers often list these defaults
in the documentation,
making them easy for attackers to find.
As part of your penetration test,
you should try these default credentials
on any web interface you discover.
If successful, you'll gain administrative access
to device or service.
For example, suppose you find a network switch
with an HTTP web interface.
You try the default credentials
"admin/admin" and gain access.
Now, you can modify the switches configuration,
potentially allowing you to reroute traffic,
capture network data, or disable security features.
This access can provide a valuable foothold
for further exploration and exploitation within the network.
Another common issue is outdated software.
Web interfaces are often built on web servers or frameworks
that require regular updates
to fix security vulnerabilities.
If the device or service hasn't been updated,
it may be vulnerable to known exploits.
Tools like Nikto or OpenVAS
can help you identify outdated software
and known vulnerabilities.
For instance, an outdated CMS might be susceptible
to SQL injection or cross-site scripting attacks.
By exploiting these vulnerabilities,
you can gain further access to the system
and potentially pivot to other systems within the network.
Consider a scenario where you find an outdated version
of A CMS running on a company's internal web server.
Using a tool like sqlmap,
you can exploit a SQL injection vulnerability
to gain access to the CMS database.
From there, you might find user credentials
stored in plain text or weakly hashed.
By cracking these credentials,
you can gain access to other systems
where the same usernames and passwords are used.
Next, let's talk about session hijacking.
Many web interfaces use session cookies
to authenticate users.
If these cookies are not properly secured,
they can be intercepted or reused by attackers.
This is especially true if the web interface
is using HTTP rather than HTTPS,
as HTTP traffic is not encrypted,
and can be easily captured using tools like Wireshark.
If you manage to capture a session cookie,
you can use it to impersonate an authenticated user
and gain access to the web interface.
Imagine you're conducting a pen test
on a company's internal network.
You capture network traffic using Wireshark
and find an HTTP session cookie
from the management interface of an IP camera system.
By injecting this cookie into your own browser,
you can access the camera management console
as an authenticated user.
From there, you can view camera feeds,
change configurations,
and potentially use the camera
to spy on sensitive areas within the network.
Another thing to note is that
many web interfaces suffer from poor access controls.
Even if you can't log in with the default credentials,
you might find that certain pages
or functions are accessible without authentication at all.
For example, administrative actions might be accessible
through direct URL access.
Tools like Burp Suite can help you identify
and exploit these issues by intercepting
and modifying HTTP requests
to bypass authentication mechanisms.
Let's say you've identified a web interface
for a network printer.
While you can't log in with default credentials,
you discover that certain administrative URLs
are accessible without logging in.
For example, by accessing http://,
then you have the printer's IP address
and then /admin/settings.html,
now, this might allow you to view
and change configuration settings
without requiring authentication.
This can give an attacker the ability
to modify printer settings potentially causing disruptions.
This access can be used to further infiltrate the network.
For example, by uploading malicious firmware
that provides a backdoor into the printer,
and finally, other connected devices.
Finally, web interfaces can expose APIs
that can be exploited for lateral movement.
APIs are designed to allow applications
to interact with each other,
but they can also provide a way for attackers
to send malicious requests.
By examining the API endpoints and parameters,
you can identify potential vulnerabilities
such as injection flaws or improper authentication.
For example, an endpoint like
http://api.example.com/users?userId=123
might be vulnerable to a SQL injection.
If it does not properly sanitize the input,
and attacker can exploit this
by manipulating the user ID parameter
such as changing it to 123 or 1=1
to gain unauthorized access to user data
or execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database.
Tools like Postman or Burp Suite can help you craft
and send these malicious requests.
Imagine you're testing an internal website
that exposes a REST API for managing user accounts.
Then you find that the API is vulnerable
to HTTP request smuggling.
Now, HTTP request smuggling is a web security vulnerability
that occurs when an attacker manipulates the way
a web server processes HTTP requests.
By crafting malicious requests that exploit discrepancies
in how front end and back end servers
interpret the headers,
the attacker can cause the server
to forward incomplete or additional requests.
For example, let's say you send
a specially crafted request like the following.
In this scenario,
the server might misinterpret the boundaries
of the HTTP requests, allowing the second post request
to be processed with elevated privileges.
This could enable you to change the role of the user
123 to "admin,"
thereby gaining further control over the application,
and potentially other systems it interacts with.
Again, HTTP requests smuggling
is a vulnerability in HTTP 1.1,
where an attacker can manipulate
the way a server processes HTTP requests
by crafting malicious request headers.
This can cause a server to forward incomplete
or split requests leading into unauthorized access
or data corruption.
While it can also be exploited
in HTTP versions two and three,
it's much harder to accomplish in those versions.
So remember, understanding how to exploit
HTTP and HTTP web interfaces is crucial
for both defending your network
and performing effective penetration test.
By identifying weak or default credentials,
outdated software, session hijacking opportunities,
poor access controls, and vulnerable APIs,
you can gain valuable insights
into how attackers move laterally through a network.
By learning and practicing these techniques,
you can better protect your network
and improve your penetration testing skills.