MSF

Metasploit framework info: http://docs.kali.org/general-use/starting-metasploit-framework-in-kali

Basics

Initializing DB

First, you want postgresql to run as a server:

$ service postgresql start

This is the database format that MSF uses.

Now initialize the database:

$ msfdb init

Running

To get a metasploit console, run

$ msfconsole

Capturing Metasploit Console Output

If you want to capture the output you're seeing in Metasploit framework console, you can use the spool command.

spool /root/box/metasploitable/metasploit.log

If the spool command is not accessible, use the msfupdate command.

msf > spool /root/box/metasploitable/metasploit.log
[*] Spooling to file /root/box/metasploitable/metasploit.log...
msf > 

To stop recording, set spool to off:

msf > spool off
[*] Spooling is now disable
msf > 

Usage Example: Metasploitable Virtual Box

Main page for Metasploitable virtual box: Metasploitable

As an example of how we can use metasploit, we'll be looking at the Metasploitable virtual box.

Setting Up Metasploitable

Downloaded virtual disk image, loaded it up in a 64-bit Linux virtualbox instance.

The networking configuration was, I had the VirtualBox instance running on a Mac, and was attacking from a machine running Kali Linux. Both computers were on a private network and o n the same subnet.

From VirtualBox, I created a bridged network adapter (meaning, VirtualBox can send/receive messages directly through that interface). Next, I flipped the switch on the VirtualBox, and away we went. The router automatically assigned an IP address to the Metasploitable VirtualBox.

Recon

Let's take a few first steps in Metasploit, using the Metasploitable virtual box.

Make a record-keeping box for stuff:

$ mkdir -p box/metasploitable

Start by using nmap to scan the host.

First a fast scan -F:

$ nmap -F 10.0.0.*

Then we can do a more extensive scan:

$ nmap -sS 10.0.0.*

This reveals the IP address of the VirtualBox, which is 10.0.0.27.

We can also do a deeper scan:

$ nmap -sS -sV -A 10.0.0.27

This will reveal an array of services, some of which may be exploitable using metasploit.

Sure enough, the verbose scan returns lots of good information:

$ nmap -sS -sV -A 10.0.0.27

Starting Nmap 7.01 ( https://nmap.org ) at 2016-03-22 18:30 PDT
Nmap scan report for 10.0.0.27
Host is up (0.016s latency).
Not shown: 977 closed ports
PORT     STATE SERVICE     VERSION
21/tcp   open  ftp         vsftpd 2.3.4
|_ftp-anon: Anonymous FTP login allowed (FTP code 230)
22/tcp   open  ssh         OpenSSH 4.7p1 Debian 8ubuntu1 (protocol 2.0)
| ssh-hostkey: 
|   1024 60:0f:cf:e1:c0:5f:6a:74:d6:90:24:fa:c4:d5:6c:cd (DSA)
|_  2048 56:56:24:0f:21:1d:de:a7:2b:ae:61:b1:24:3d:e8:f3 (RSA)
23/tcp   open  telnet      Linux telnetd
25/tcp   open  smtp        Postfix smtpd
|_smtp-commands: metasploitable.localdomain, PIPELINING, SIZE 10240000, VRFY, ETRN, STARTTLS, ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES, 8BITMIME, DSN, 
| ssl-cert: Subject: commonName=ubuntu804-base.localdomain/organizationName=OCOSA/stateOrProvinceName=There is no such thing outside US/countryName=XX
| Not valid before: 2010-03-17T14:07:45
|_Not valid after:  2010-04-16T14:07:45
|_ssl-date: 2016-03-23T01:31:31+00:00; +33s from scanner time.
53/tcp   open  domain      ISC BIND 9.4.2
| dns-nsid: 
|_  bind.version: 9.4.2
80/tcp   open  http        Apache httpd 2.2.8 ((Ubuntu) DAV/2)
|_http-server-header: Apache/2.2.8 (Ubuntu) DAV/2
|_http-title: Metasploitable2 - Linux
111/tcp  open  rpcbind     2 (RPC #100000)
| rpcinfo: 
|   program version   port/proto  service
|   100000  2            111/tcp  rpcbind
|   100000  2            111/udp  rpcbind
|   100003  2,3,4       2049/tcp  nfs
|   100003  2,3,4       2049/udp  nfs
|   100005  1,2,3      42810/tcp  mountd
|   100005  1,2,3      45599/udp  mountd
|   100021  1,3,4      34385/tcp  nlockmgr
|   100021  1,3,4      60702/udp  nlockmgr
|   100024  1          38085/udp  status
|_  100024  1          52004/tcp  status
139/tcp  open  netbios-ssn Samba smbd 3.X (workgroup: WORKGROUP)
445/tcp  open  netbios-ssn Samba smbd 3.X (workgroup: WORKGROUP)
512/tcp  open  exec        netkit-rsh rexecd
513/tcp  open  login?
514/tcp  open  tcpwrapped
1099/tcp open  java-rmi    Java RMI Registry
1524/tcp open  shell       Metasploitable root shell
2049/tcp open  nfs         2-4 (RPC #100003)
2121/tcp open  ftp         ProFTPD 1.3.1
3306/tcp open  mysql       MySQL 5.0.51a-3ubuntu5
| mysql-info: 
|   Protocol: 53
|   Version: .0.51a-3ubuntu5
|   Thread ID: 8
|   Capabilities flags: 43564
|   Some Capabilities: Support41Auth, SupportsTransactions, Speaks41ProtocolNew, SwitchToSSLAfterHandshake, ConnectWithDatabase, LongColumnFlag, SupportsCompression
|   Status: Autocommit
|_  Salt: w$K,8vk7k8tagd@PR*zK
5432/tcp open  postgresql  PostgreSQL DB 8.3.0 - 8.3.7
5900/tcp open  vnc         VNC (protocol 3.3)
| vnc-info: 
|   Protocol version: 3.3
|   Security types: 
|_    Unknown security type (33554432)
6000/tcp open  X11         (access denied)
6667/tcp open  irc         Unreal ircd
| irc-info: 
|   users: 1
|   servers: 1
|   lusers: 1
|   lservers: 0
|   server: irc.Metasploitable.LAN
|   version: Unreal3.2.8.1. irc.Metasploitable.LAN 
|   uptime: 0 days, 1:05:20
|   source ident: nmap
|   source host: 6D4CD63B.D3975B40.7B559A54.IP
|_  error: Closing Link: cxfhgnbdt[10.0.0.25] (Quit: cxfhgnbdt)
8009/tcp open  ajp13       Apache Jserv (Protocol v1.3)
|_ajp-methods: Failed to get a valid response for the OPTION request
8180/tcp open  http        Apache Tomcat/Coyote JSP engine 1.1
|_http-favicon: Apache Tomcat
|_http-server-header: Apache-Coyote/1.1
|_http-title: Apache Tomcat/5.5
MAC Address: 08:00:27:47:98:AD (Oracle VirtualBox virtual NIC)
Device type: general purpose
Running: Linux 2.6.X
OS CPE: cpe:/o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6
OS details: Linux 2.6.9 - 2.6.33
Network Distance: 1 hop
Service Info: Hosts:  metasploitable.localdomain, localhost, irc.Metasploitable.LAN; OSs: Unix, Linux; CPE: cpe:/o:linux:linux_kernel

Host script results:
|_nbstat: NetBIOS name: METASPLOITABLE, NetBIOS user: <unknown>, NetBIOS MAC: <unknown> (unknown)
| smb-os-discovery: 
|   OS: Unix (Samba 3.0.20-Debian)
|   NetBIOS computer name: 
|   Workgroup: WORKGROUP
|_  System time: 2016-03-22T21:31:31-04:00

TRACEROUTE
HOP RTT      ADDRESS
1   16.11 ms 10.0.0.27

OS and Service detection performed. Please report any incorrect results at https://nmap.org/submit/ .
Nmap done: 1 IP address (1 host up) scanned in 27.31 seconds

MySQL

Let's focus on the MySQL service:

3306/tcp open  mysql       MySQL 5.0.51a-3ubuntu5
| mysql-info: 
|   Protocol: 53
|   Version: .0.51a-3ubuntu5
|   Thread ID: 8
|   Capabilities flags: 43564
|   Some Capabilities: Support41Auth, SupportsTransactions, Speaks41ProtocolNew, SwitchToSSLAfterHandshake, ConnectWithDatabase, LongColumnFlag, SupportsCompression
|   Status: Autocommit
|_  Salt: w$K,8vk7k8tagd@PR*zK

We can brute-force MySQL, then use it to access files on the remote machine.

More info at Metasploitable/MySQL.

Wrapping Up and Moving On

After the nmap scan of the Metasploitable virtual box, we saw many services running, exposing this server's soft underbelly.

We began with MySQL. We were able to use Metasploit to brute-force the MySQL login. This was pretty trivial, since the password was blank.

Now that we've compromised the MySQL database, we've seen that there are several web services running - two instances of TikiWiki, an instance of Damn Vulnerable Web App, and information from/about owasp. The MySQL database gave us plenty of new attack vectors to dive into.