Linux: Local Enumeration

Learn to efficiently enumerate a Linux machine and identify possible weaknesses

This room from tryHackMe describes some technique to enumerate and escalate privilege after getting a shell in a Linux machine.

Target website shows the way to connect and get a reverse shell:

Unit 1: tty

Reverse shell -

• netcat shell can be broken often

• stable shell is needed

• Some commands like su and ssh needs proper terminal to run

• Python one liner for a stable shell: python3 -c 'import pty; pty.spawn("/bin/bash")'

• Upgrading shell to interactive shell: blog post

• Curated list of privesc command: GTFOBins

The command from GTFOBins gives us shell but as we want to execute bash, we need to modify it: perl -e 'exec "/bin/sh";'

Unit 1: ssh

SSH -

• SSH can give us stable reverse connection

• Usually located in .ssh file

• If I get the private key, id_rsa :

  • Download it to my own machine

  • Give permission: chmod 600

  • Connect ssh: ssh -i id_rsa [user]@[IP]

• If private key isn't there or inaccessible:

  • Generate own ssh key in attacker machine: ssh-keygen

  • Copy the id_rsa.pub to the target machine's authorized_keys file. This file will be inside the .ssh file

  • Connect ssh from attacker machine using own id_rsa file

Unit 2: Basic enumeration

Quick methodology -

• get system info: uname -a

• User command history can be here: .bash_history

• These two file contains shell command that run when bash executed: .bash_profile and .bashrc

• Check sudo version: sudo -v

• User list with sudo access: sudo -l

Unit 3: /etc

/etc/passwd file -

• This file contains essential information

• Format of /passwd file -

/etc/shadow file -

• This file contains hashed password

/etc/hosts file -

• This file assigns hostname to IP address

Unit 4: Find command

Find command -

• Most important switch : -type and -name

• Look for interesting log (.log) and configuration (.conf) file. There can be a backup (.bak) file too

Task -

• Found password in backup file: find -type f -name "*.bak" 2>/dev/null

• Found flag in a .conf file: find -type f -name "*.conf" 2>/dev/null

Unit 4: SUID

SUID bit -

• If this bit is set, anyone can run the file with the owner level access

• Find command: find / -type f -perm -u=s 2>/dev/null

• GTFOBins shows good payload for grep

Unit 5:

SSH tunnelling -

• Three types of ssh tunnel (with example):

  • Forward tunnel: this will connect from office to home using a ssh tunnel

  • Reverse tunnel: this tunnel will connect from home to office

  • Dynamic tunnel: this will use sock proxy and divert all traffic to specified address

• Explained video: YouTube

SSH tunnelling command -

• Forward tunnel : map port from remote machine/network to local machine

ssh -L $LOCAL_PORT:$REMOTE_IP:$REMOTE_PORT $USER@$SERVER

• Reverse tunnel : make local port accessible to remote machine

ssh -R $REMOTE_PORT:$LOCAL_IP:$LOCAL_PORT $USER@$SERVER