Exploiting Bank Server Vulnerabilities for Root Access

Chris successfully exploited vulnerabilities in the bank server to gain root access.

### Hacking the Bank: Exploiting Vulnerabilities for Root Access
* 💻 In this video, Chris Alupului explores vulnerabilities in a bank's web application as part of a Hack the Box challenge, emphasizing the **educational purpose of the exercise**.
* 🔍 The process begins with adding the bank's IP address to the `/etc/hosts` file for easier access, followed by a comprehensive nmap scan to identify open ports, revealing **SSH and HTTP services**.
* 🔑 Using OpenSSL, Chris creates a password hash for "neospring" to attempt privilege escalation by modifying the password file, demonstrating how to **add a new user with elevated privileges**.
* 📂 After setting up a reverse shell, he successfully executes commands to gain access to the server, where he finds the **user flag** and prepares to **escalate to root access**.
* 🛠 With the ability to read and write to the password file, Chris adds the new user and retrieves **root access**, ultimately locating the **root flag for submission**.
* 📡 The video highlights the importance of **understanding file permissions and server configurations**, particularly regarding the **/etc/passwd** and **/etc/shadow** files.
* 📈 Throughout the demonstration, Chris utilizes tools like **Burp Suite** and **ffuf** for scanning and fuzzing, showcasing techniques for **discovering vulnerabilities in web applications**.
* 🔒 The session concludes with a reminder of the **ethical implications of hacking**, reinforcing that the exercise is intended for **educational purposes within a controlled environment**.

Hacking Bank from Hackthebox |  HTB Bank Walkthrough | Ethical Hacking

Chris Alupului

The scan revealed three open ports: 22 TCP (SSH), 53 TCP (DNS), and 80 TCP (HTTP).

The user flag for Chris was obtained from the home directory.

The password and shadow files were checked for permissions, and the HTTP server was identified as running on Apache with a PHP backend.

Subdomains were added to the /etc/hosts file for easy access.

Burp Suite was started before launching Firefox to check the website, which quickly redirected to the login page.

A reverse shell was set up using netcat, leading to successful access as www-data, and then upgraded to gain root access and retrieve the root flag.

Fuzzing for Directory Listings and Exploiting Vulnerabilities

Fuzzing with ffuf is used to discover directory contents, and it's currently running on bank.

The assets directory contains various styling sheets and JavaScript files, providing potential for further exploration.

A comment in the page source reveals writability in the password files, indicating a possible security vulnerability, while the password file's X indicates that the actual passwords are stored in the shadow file.

Exploiting a Ticket System for a Reverse Shell

The only support option available is to send a ticket, which leads to the plan of submitting a malicious file.

The site is built on PHP, and a reverse shell is crafted using a PHP file.

The process reveals sensitive information, including a password, which is then used to gain access to the user's bank information and account files.

Exploring Vulnerabilities in a Bank Web App

The tutorial involves using Burp Suite to intercept requests while testing a bank web app for vulnerabilities.

PHP file upload is attempted, but it initially fails due to a file type restriction.

The presenter then explores different methods, including changing the file extension and using default login credentials, to bypass security measures and gain access.

Privilege Escalation through Password Hashing

The video discusses exploiting a bank server's password file to create a new user with a hashed password for privilege escalation.

The presenter uses OpenSSL to hash the password "neospring" and attempts to write it into the password file.

After facing some access issues, they discover a debugging PHP file that allows them to execute commands, ultimately gaining a reverse shell.