hacktricks/pentesting/pentesting-web/README.md

# 80,443 - Pentesting Web Methodology

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**If you want to** share some tricks with the community **you can also submit** pull requests **to** [https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks](https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks]%28https://github.com/carlospolop/hacktricks) **that will be reflected in this book.  
Don't forget to** give ⭐ on the github to motivate me to continue developing this book.

## Basic Info

The web service is the most **common and extensive service** and a lot of **different types of vulnerabilities** exists.

**Default port:** 80 \(HTTP\), 443\(HTTPS\)

```bash
PORT    STATE SERVICE
80/tcp  open  http
443/tcp open  ssl/https
```

```bash
nc -v domain.com 80 # GET / HTTP/1.0
openssl s_client -connect domain.com:443 # GET / HTTP/1.0
```

## Methodology summary

> In this methodology we are going to suppose that you are going to a attack a domain \(or subdomain\) and only that. So, you should apply this methodology to each discovered domain, subdomain or IP with undetermined web server inside the scope.

* [ ] Start by **identifying** the **technologies** used by the web server. Look for **tricks** to keep in mind during the rest of the test if you can successfully identify the tech.
  * [ ] Any **known vulnerability** of the version of the technology?
  * [ ] Using any **well known tech**? Any **useful trick** to extract more information?
  * [ ] Any **specialised scanner** to run \(like wpscan\)?
  * [ ] Any **vulnerable cookie**? **JWT**?
* [ ] Launch **general purposes scanners**. You never know if they are going to find something or if the are going to find some interesting information.
* [ ] Start with the **initial checks**: **robots**, **sitemap**, **404** error and **SSL/TLS scan** \(if HTTPS\).
* [ ] Start **spidering** the web page: It's time to **find** all the possible **files, folders** and **parameters being used.** Also, check for **special findings**.
  * [ ] _Note that anytime a new directory is discovered during brute-forcing or spidering, it should be spidered._
* [ ] **Directory Brute-Forcing**: Try to brute force all the discovered folders searching for new **files** and **directories**. 
  * [ ] _Note that anytime a new directory is discovered during brute-forcing or spidering, it should be Brute-Forced._
* [ ] **Backups checking**: Test if you can find **backups** of **discovered files** appending common backup extensions.
* [ ] **Brute-Force parameters**: Try to **find hidden parameters**.
* [ ] Once you have **identified** all the possible **endpoints** accepting **user input**, check for all kind of **vulnerabilities** related to it.
  * [ ] This is by far the **most complex part of pentesting web**, and **depending** of the **vulnerability** the pentester should know how to **discover** it. In **this book** you can find **explained** a lot of **web vulnerabilities** related to user input.

## Server Version \(Vulnerable?\)

### Identify

Check if there are **known vulnerabilities** for the server **version** that is running.  
The **HTTP headers and cookies of the response** could be very useful to **identify** the **technologies** and/or **version** being used. **Nmap scan** can identify the server version, but it could also be useful the tools [**whatweb**](https://github.com/urbanadventurer/WhatWeb)**,** [**webtech** ](https://github.com/ShielderSec/webtech)or [**https://builtwith.com/**](https://builtwith.com/)**:**

```bash
whatweb -a 1 <URL> #Stealthy
whatweb -a 3 <URL> #Aggresive
webtech -u <URL>
```

Search **for** [**vulnerabilities of the web application** **version**](../../search-exploits.md)

**Check if any WAF**

* [**https://github.com/EnableSecurity/wafw00f**](https://github.com/EnableSecurity/wafw00f)
* [**https://github.com/Ekultek/WhatWaf.git**](https://github.com/Ekultek/WhatWaf.git)
* [**https://nmap.org/nsedoc/scripts/http-waf-detect.html**](https://nmap.org/nsedoc/scripts/http-waf-detect.html)

### Web tech tricks

Some **tricks** for **finding vulnerabilities** in different well known **technologies** being used:

* \*\*\*\*[**Apache**](apache.md)\*\*\*\*
* \*\*\*\*[**Artifactory**](artifactory-hacking-guide.md)\*\*\*\*
* \*\*\*\*[**Buckets**](buckets/)\*\*\*\*
* [**IIS tricks**](iis-internet-information-services.md)
* [**PHP \(php has a lot of interesting tricks that could be exploited**](php-tricks-esp/)
* [**Nginx**](nginx.md)
* [**Python**](python.md)
* [**Flask**](flask.md)
* [**WebDav**](put-method-webdav.md)
* [**CGI**](cgi.md)
* [**Tomcat**](tomcat.md)
* [**Jenkins**](jenkins.md)
* [**JBOSS**](jboss.md)
* [**JIRA**](jira.md)
* [**JSP**](jsp.md)
* [**Wordpress**](wordpress.md)
* [**Drupal**](drupal.md)
* [**Moodle**](moodle.md)
* [**VMWare \(EXS, VCenter**](vmware-esx-vcenter....md)
* [**GraphQL**](graphql.md)

If the **source code** of the application is available in **github**, apart of performing by **your own a White box test** of the application \(no guide available yet in hacktricks\) there is **some information** that could be **useful** for the current **Black-Box testing**:

* Is there a **Changelog or Readme or Version** file or anything with **version info accesible** via web?
* How and where are saved the **credentials**? Is there any \(accesible?\) **file** with credentials \(usernames or passwords\)?
* Are **passwords** in **plain text**, **encrypted** or which **hashing algorithm** is used?
* Is it using any **master key** for encrypting something? Which **algorithm** is used?
* Can you **access any of these files** exploiting some vulnerability?
* Is there any **interesting information in the github** \(solved and not solved\) **issues**? Or in **commit history** \(maybe some **password introduced inside an old commit**\)?

_Take into account that the **same domain** can be using **different technologies** in different **ports**, **folders** and **subdomains**._  
If the web application is using any well known **tech/platform listed before** or **any other**, don't forget to **search on the Internet** new tricks \(and let me know!\).

## Automatic scanners

### General purpose automatic scanners

```bash
nikto -h <URL>
whatweb -a 4 <URL>
wapiti -u <URL>
W3af
zarpxy #You can use an API
nuclei -t nuclei-templates
```

### CMS scanners

If a CMS is used don't forget to **run a scanner**, maybe something juicy is found:

[**Clusterd**](https://github.com/hatRiot/clusterd)**:** [**JBoss**](jboss.md)**, ColdFusion, WebLogic,** [**Tomcat**](tomcat.md)**, Railo, Axis2, Glassfish**  
[**CMSScan**](https://github.com/ajinabraham/CMSScan): [**WordPress**](wordpress.md), [**Drupal**](drupal.md), **Joomla**, **vBulletin** websites for Security issues. \(GUI\)  
[**VulnX**](https://github.com/anouarbensaad/vulnx)**: Joomla,** [**Wordpress**](wordpress.md)**,** [**Drupal**](drupal.md)**, PrestaShop, Opencart  
CMSMap**: [**\(W\)ordpress**](wordpress.md)**, \(J\)oomla,** [**\(D\)rupal**](drupal.md) **or** [**\(M\)oodle**](moodle.md)  
[**droopscan**](https://github.com/droope/droopescan)**:** [**Drupal**](drupal.md)**, Joomla,** [**Moodle**](moodle.md)**, Silverstripe,** [**Wordpress**](wordpress.md)

```bash
cmsmap [-f W] -F -d <URL>
wpscan --force update -e --url <URL>
joomscan --ec -u <URL>
joomlavs.rb #https://github.com/rastating/joomlavs
```

> At this point you should already have some information of the web server being used by the client \(if any data is given\) and some tricks to keep in mind during the test. If you are lucky you have even found a CMS and run some scanner.

## Step-by-step Web Application testing

> From this point we are going to start interacting with the web application.

### Initial checks

#### Default pages with interesting info:

* /robots.txt
* /sitemap.xml
* Some _404_ error - _Some interesting data could be presented here._

#### Check if you can upload files \([PUT verb, WebDav](put-method-webdav.md)\)

If you find that **WebDav** is **enabled** but you don't have enough permissions for **uploading files** in the root folder try to:

* **Brute Force** credentials
* **Upload files** via WebDav to the **rest** of **found folders** inside the web page. You may have permissions to upload files in other folders.

#### SSL/TLS vulnerabilites

Use [**testssl.sh**](https://github.com/drwetter/testssl.sh) to checks for **vulnerabilities** \(In Bug Bounty programs probably these kind of vulnerabilities won't be accepted\) and use [**a2sv** ](https://github.com/hahwul/a2sv)to recheck the vulnerabilities:

```bash
./testssl.sh [--htmlfile] 10.10.10.10:443
#Use the --htmlfile to save the output inside an htmlfile also

## You can also use other tools, by testssl.sh at this momment is the best one (I think)
sslscan <host:port>
sslyze --regular <ip:port>
```

Information about SSL/TLS vulnerabilities:

* [https://www.gracefulsecurity.com/tls-ssl-vulnerabilities/](https://www.gracefulsecurity.com/tls-ssl-vulnerabilities/) 
* [https://www.acunetix.com/blog/articles/tls-vulnerabilities-attacks-final-part/](https://www.acunetix.com/blog/articles/tls-vulnerabilities-attacks-final-part/)

### Spidering

Launch some kind of **spider** inside the web. The goal of the spider is to **find as much paths as possible** from the tested application. Therefore, web crawling and external sources should be used to find as much valid paths as possible.

* [**gospider**](https://github.com/jaeles-project/gospider) \(go\): HTML spider, LinkFinder in JS files and external sources \(Archive.org, CommonCrawl.org, VirusTotal.com, AlienVault.com\).
* [**hakrawler**](https://github.com/hakluke/hakrawler) \(go\): HML spider, with LinkFider for JS files and Archive.org as external source.
* [**dirhunt**](https://github.com/Nekmo/dirhunt) \(python\): HTML spider, also indicates "juicy files".
* [**evine** ](https://github.com/saeeddhqan/evine)\(go\): Interactive CLI HTML spider. It also searches in Archive.org
* [**meg**](https://github.com/tomnomnom/meg) \(go\): This tool isn't a spider but it can be useful. You can just indicate a file with hosts and a file with paths and meg will fetch each path on each host and save the response.
* [**urlgrab**](https://github.com/IAmStoxe/urlgrab) \(go\): HTML spider with JS rendering capabilities. However, it looks like it's unmaintained, the precompiled version is old and the current code doesn't compile
* [**gau**](https://github.com/lc/gau) go\): HTML spider that uses external providers \(wayback, otx, commoncrawl\)
* [**ParamSpider**](https://github.com/devanshbatham/ParamSpider): This script will find URLs with parameter and will list them.
* [**galer**](https://github.com/dwisiswant0/galer) \(go\): HTML spider with JS rendering capabilities.
* [**LinkFinder**](https://github.com/GerbenJavado/LinkFinder) \(python\): HTML spider, with JS beautify capabilities capable of search new paths in JS files. It could be worth it also take a look to ****[JSScanner](https://github.com/dark-warlord14/JSScanner), which is a wrapper of LinkFinder.
* [**JSParser**](https://github.com/nahamsec/JSParser) \(python2.7\): A python 2.7 script using Tornado and JSBeautifier to parse relative URLs from JavaScript files. Useful for easily discovering AJAX requests. Looks like unmaintaned.
* [**relative-url-extractor**](https://github.com/jobertabma/relative-url-extractor) \(ruby\): Given a file \(HTML\) it will extract URLs from it using nifty regular expression to find and extract the relative URLs from ugly \(minify\) files.

### Brute Force directories and files

Start **brute-forcing** from the root folder and be sure to brute-force **all** the **directories found** using **this method** and all the directories **discovered** by the **Spidering** \(you can do this brute-forcing **recursively** and appending at the beginning of the used wordlist the names of the found directories\).  
Tools:

* **Dirb** / **Dirbuster** - Included in Kali, **old** \(and **slow**\) but functional. Allow auto-signed certificates and recursive search. Too slow compared with th other options.
* [**Dirsearch**](https://github.com/maurosoria/dirsearch) \(python\)**: It doesn't allow auto-signed certificates but** allows recursive search.
* [**Gobuster**](https://github.com/OJ/gobuster) \(go\): It allows auto-signed certificates, it **doesn't** have **recursive** search.
* [**Feroxbuster**](https://github.com/epi052/feroxbuster) **- Fast, supports recursive search.**
* [**wfuzz**](https://github.com/xmendez/wfuzz) `wfuzz -w /usr/share/seclists/Discovery/Web-Content/raft-medium-directories.txt https://domain.com/api/FUZZ`
* [**ffuf** ](https://github.com/ffuf/ffuf)- Fast: `ffuf -c -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/big.txt -u http://10.10.10.10/FUZZ`

**Recommended dictionaries:**

* [https://github.com/danielmiessler/RobotsDisallowed](https://github.com/danielmiessler/RobotsDisallowed) \(Very interesting\)
* [**Seclists**](https://github.com/danielmiessler/SecLists)
* [**Dirsearch**](https://github.com/maurosoria/dirsearch) included dictionary
* [http://gist.github.com/jhaddix/b80ea67d85c13206125806f0828f4d10](http://gist.github.com/jhaddix/b80ea67d85c13206125806f0828f4d10)
* [Assetnote wordlists](https://wordlists.assetnote.io/)
* _/usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt_
* _/usr/share/wordlists/dirb/big.txt_
* _/usr/share/wordlists/dirbuster/directory-list-2.3-medium.txt_

_Note that anytime a new directory is discovered during brute-forcing or spidering, it should be Brute-Forced._

### What to check on each file found

* [**Broken link checker**](https://github.com/stevenvachon/broken-link-checker): Find broken links inside HTMLs that may be prone to takeovers
* **File Backups**: Once you have found all the files, look for backups of all the executable files \("_.php_", "_.aspx_"...\). Common variations for naming a backup are: _file.ext~, \#file.ext\#, ~file.ext, file.ext.bak, file.ext.tmp, file.ext.old, file.bak, file.tmp and file.old_
* **Discover new parameters**: You can use tools like [Arjun](https://github.com/s0md3v/Arjun) **and** [parameth](https://github.com/maK-/parameth) **to discover hidden parameters. If you can, you could try to search** hidden parameters on each executable web file.
* **Comments:** Check the comments of all the files, you can find **credentials** or **hidden functionality**. 
  * If you are playing  **CTF**,  a "common" trick is to **hide** **information** inside comments at the **right** of the **page** \(using **hundreds** of **spaces** so you don't see the data if you open the source code with the browser\). Other possibility is to use **several new lines** and **hide information** in a comment at the **bottom** of the web page.
* **API keys**: If you **find any API key** there is guide that indicates how to use API keys of different platforms: [keyhacks](https://github.com/streaak/keyhacks), [**zile**](https://github.com/xyele/zile.git)**,** [truffleHog](https://github.com/dxa4481/truffleHog/), [SecretFinder](https://github.com/m4ll0k/SecretFinder), [RegHex](https://github.com/l4yton/RegHex%29\).
  * Google API keys: If you find any API key looking like **AIza**SyA-qLheq6xjDiEIRisP\_ujUseYLQCHUjik you can use the project [**gmapapiscanner**](https://github.com/ozguralp/gmapsapiscanner) ****to check which apis the key can access.
* **S3 Buckets**: While spidering look if any **subdomain** or any **link** is related with some **S3 bucket**. In that case, [**check** the **permissions** of the bucket](buckets/).

### Special findings

**While** performing the **spidering** and **brute-forcing** you could find **interesting** **things** that you have to **notice**.

#### **Interesting files**

* Look for **links** to other files inside the **CSS** files.
* [If you find a _**.git**_ file some information can be extracted](git.md)
* If you find a _**.env**_ information such as api keys, dbs passwords and other information can be found.
* If you find **API endpoints** you [should also test them](web-api-pentesting.md). These aren't files, but will probably "look like" them.
* **JS files**: In the spidering section several tools that can extract path from JS files were mentioned. Also, It would be interesting to **monitor each JS file found**, as in some ocations, a change may indicate that a potential vulnerability was introduced in the code. You could use for example [**JSMon**](https://github.com/robre/jsmon)**.**
  * You should also check discovered JS files with [**RetireJS**](https://github.com/retirejs/retire.js/) _\*\*_to find if it's vulnerable.
  * **Javascript Deobfuscator and Unpacker** \([https://lelinhtinh.github.io/de4js/](https://lelinhtinh.github.io/de4js/)\)
  * **Javascript Beautifier**  \([http://jsbeautifier.org/](https://beautifier.io/)\)
  * **BrainFuck deobfuscation** \(javascript with chars:"\[\]!+" [https://ooze.ninja/javascript/poisonjs/](https://ooze.ninja/javascript/poisonjs/)\)
  * In several occasions you will need to **understand regular expressions** used, this will be useful: [https://regex101.com/](https://regex101.com/)
* You could also **monitor the files were forms were detected**, as a change in the parameter or the apearance f a new form may indicate a potential new vulnerable functionality.

#### 403 Forbidden/Basic Authentication/401 Unauthorized \(bypass\)

* Try using **different verbs** to access the file: _GET, POST, INVENTED_
* If _/path_ is blocked, try using _**/**_**%2e/**path _\(if the access is blocked by a proxy, this could bypass the protection\). Try also_ /**%252e**/path \(double URL encode\)
* Try Unicode bypass: _/**%ef%bc%8f**path_ \(The URL encoded chars are like "/"\) so when encoded back it will be _//path_ and maybe you will have already bypassed the _/path_ name check
* Try to **stress the server** sending common GET requests \([It worked for this guy wit Facebook](https://medium.com/@amineaboud/story-of-a-weird-vulnerability-i-found-on-facebook-fc0875eb5125)\).
* **Change the protocol**: from http to https, or for https to http
* **Change Host header** to some arbitrary value \([that worked here](https://medium.com/@sechunter/exploiting-admin-panel-like-a-boss-fc2dd2499d31)\)
* **Other path bypasses**:
  * site.com/secret –&gt; HTTP 403 Forbidden
  * site.com/SECRET –&gt; HTTP 200 OK
  * site.com/secret/ –&gt; HTTP 200 OK
  * site.com/secret/. –&gt; HTTP 200 OK
  * site.com//secret// –&gt; HTTP 200 OK
  * site.com/./secret/.. –&gt; HTTP 200 OK
  * site.com/secret.json –&gt; HTTP 200 OK \(ruby\)
* **Other bypasses:**
  * /v3/users\_data/1234 --&gt; 403 Forbidden 
  * /v1/users\_data/1234 --&gt; 200 OK
  * {“id”:111} --&gt; 401 Unauthriozied
  * {“id”:\[111\]} --&gt; 200 OK
  * {“id”:111} --&gt; 401 Unauthriozied
  * {“id”:{“id”:111}} --&gt; 200 OK
  * {"user\_id":"&lt;legit\_id&gt;","user\_id":"&lt;victims\_id&gt;"} \(JSON Parameter Pollution\)
  * user\_id=ATTACKER\_ID&user\_id=VICTIM\_ID \(Parameter Pollution\)
* Go to [https://archive.org/web/](https://archive.org/web/) and check if in the past that file was **worldwide accessible**.
* **Fuzz the page**: Try using HTTP Proxy **Headers**, HTTP Authentication Basic and NTLM brute-force \(with a few combinations only\) and other techniques. To do all of this I have created the tool [**fuzzhttpbypass**](https://github.com/carlospolop/fuzzhttpbypass).
  * `X-Originating-IP: 127.0.0.1` 
  * `X-Forwarded-For: 127.0.0.1` 
  * `X-Remote-IP: 127.0.0.1` 
  * `X-Remote-Addr: 127.0.0.1`
  * `X-ProxyUser-Ip: 127.0.0.1`
  * `X-Original-URL: 127.0.0.1`
  * If the **path is protected** you can try to bypass the path protection using these other headers:
    * `X-Original-URL: /admin/console`
    * `X-Rewrite-URL: /admin/console`
* **Guess the password**: Test the following common credentials. Do you know something about the victim? Or the CTF challenge name?
* [**Brute force**](../../brute-force.md#http-brute)**:** Try basic, digest and NTLM auth.

  {% code title="Common creds" %}
  ```text
  admin    admin
  admin    password
  admin    1234
  admin    admin1234
  admin    123456
  root     toor
  test     test
  guest    guest
  ```
  {% endcode %}

#### 502 Proxy Error

If any page **responds** with that **code**, it's probably a **bad configured proxy**. **If you send a HTTP request like: `GET https://google.com HTTP/1.1`** \(with the host header and other common headers\), the **proxy** will try to **access** _**google.com**_ **\*\*and you will have found a** SSRF\*\*.

#### **NTLM Authentication - Info disclosure**

If the running server asking for authentication is **Windows** or you find a login asking for your **credentials** \(and asking for **domain** **name**\), you can provoke an **information disclosure**.  
**Send** the **header**: `“Authorization: NTLM TlRMTVNTUAABAAAAB4IIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=”` and due to how the **NTLM authentication works**, the server will respond with internal info \(IIS version, Windows version...\) inside the header "WWW-Authenticate".  
You can **automate** this using the **nmap plugin** "_http-ntlm-info.nse_".

#### HTTP Redirect \(CTF\)

It is possible to **put content** inside a **Redirection**. This content **won't be shown to the user** \(as the browser will execute the redirection\) but something could be **hidden** in there.

## Web Vulnerabilities

Now that a comprehensive enumeration of the web application has been performed it's time to check for a lot of possible vulnerabilities. You can find the checklist here:

{% page-ref page="../../pentesting-web/web-vulnerabilities-methodology.md" %}

TODO: Complete the list of vulnerabilities and techniques with [https://six2dez.gitbook.io/pentest-book/others/web-checklist](https://six2dez.gitbook.io/pentest-book/others/web-checklist) and [https://kennel209.gitbooks.io/owasp-testing-guide-v4/content/en/web\_application\_security\_testing/configuration\_and\_deployment\_management\_testing.html](https://kennel209.gitbooks.io/owasp-testing-guide-v4/content/en/web_application_security_testing/configuration_and_deployment_management_testing.html)

## User input related vulnerabilities special mention

### **Bypass regular login \(POST or GET method\)**

If you find a login page, here you can find some techniques to try to bypass it:

* Check for **comments** inside the page \(scroll down and to the right?\)
* Check if you can **directly access the restricted pages**
* Check to **not send the parameters** \(do not send any or only 1\)
* Test manually [very common passwords](./#2-2-5-list-of-common-password-to-test-manually).
* Check for **default credentials** 
* Check for **common combinations** \(root, admin, password, name of the tech, default user with one of these passwords\)
* Check the **PHP comparisons error:** _user\[\]=a&pwd=b_ , _user=a&pwd\[\]=b_ , _user\[\]=a&pwd\[\]=b_
* Create a dictionary using **Cewl**, **add** the **default** username and password \(if there is\) and try to brute-force it using all the words as **usernames and password**
* Try to **brute-force** using a bigger **dictionary \(**[**Brute force**](../../brute-force.md#http-post-form)**\)**

You should also check for:

* [**SQL Injection authentication bypass**](../../pentesting-web/sql-injection/#authentication-bypass)
* [**NoSQL Injection**](../../pentesting-web/nosql-injection.md)
* [**XPath Injection**](../../pentesting-web/xpath-injection.md)
* [**LDAP Injection**](../../pentesting-web/ldap-injection.md)

### Insert into/Create Object

Check for [SQL INSERT INTO Injections](../../pentesting-web/sql-injection/#insert-statement)

\*\*\*\*