Intro to Offensive Security | TryHackMe
Lab Access: https://tryhackme.com/room/introtooffensivesecurity
1st — Open a terminal
We can interact with a computer without using a graphical user interface by using a terminal, often known as the command-line. Using the Terminal icon on the system, open the terminal:
Kali Linux’s Terminal Icon
2nd — Find website pages that have been hidden
The reason for this is that many businesses will have their own admin portal, which will give their employees access to basic admin controls for day-to-day activities.
Example: A bank employee may transfer funds to and from client accounts.
These pages are frequently not made private, allowing attackers to discover hidden pages that display or provide access to administrative controls or sensitive data.
Command: gobuster -u <target> -w wordlist.txt dir
-u = to state the website we're scanning
-w = a list of words to iterate through to find hidden pages
You’ll notice that GoBuster examines the website for each term in the list, locating existing pages.
In the list of page/directory names, GoBuster will have told you the pages it found (indicated by Status: 200).
3rd — Hack the bank
You should have discovered a hidden bank transfer page (/bank-transfer) that allows you to transfer money across bank accounts. On the machine, type the hidden page into the FakeBank website.
This page allows an attacker to steal money from any bank account, posing a serious risk to the organization. As an ethical hacker, you would uncover flaws in their program (with permission) and submit them to the bank so they could be fixed before a hacker exploited them.
[Question 1.1] When you’ve transferred money to your account, go back to your bank account page. What is the answer shown on your bank balance page?
You will see the page below after entering the IP address provided.
Then go to the “hidden directory” you discovered and look for the “staff account,” which is the “admin portal” where you can transfer the money.
When you’re finished, you’ll see “Success, transfer completed” on the screen.
Finally, when you return to the main page, you’ll see “FakeBank’s Staff” transfer $2000 to your account, followed by the flag to the question.
Answer: BANK-HACKED
[Question 1.2] If you were a penetration tester or security consultant, this is an exercise you’d perform for companies to test for vulnerabilities in their web applications; find hidden pages to investigate for vulnerabilities.
Answer: No answer is needed.
[Question 1.3] Terminate the machine by clicking the red “Terminate” button at the top of the page.
Answer: No answer is needed.
Offensive Security — It is the process of gaining unauthorized access to computer systems by breaking into them, exploiting software defects, and identifying loopholes in programs.
To defeat a hacker, you must act like a hacker, identifying flaws and offering patches ahead of a cybercriminal.
Defensive security — On the other hand, is the act of safeguarding an organization’s network and computer systems by assessing and securing any potential digital threats.
You could be analyzing infected systems or devices to figure out how they were hacked, chasing down cybercriminals, or monitoring infrastructurefor dangerous activities in a defensive cyber position.
[Question 2.1] Read the above.
Answer: No answer is needed.
BIG Question — How can I start learning?
People often ask how others became hackers (security consultants) or defenders (cybercrime analysts), and the solution is straightforward. Break it down, pick a cyber security topic that interests you, and practice with hands-on exercises on a regular basis. Make it a habit to learn something new on TryHackMe every day, and you’ll have the skills you need to land your first job in the field.
What careers are there?
The cyber careers room goes into more depth about the different careers in cyber. However, here is a short description of a few offensive security roles:
- Penetration Tester — Responsible for testing technology products for finding exploitable security vulnerabilities.
- Red Teamer — Plays the role of an adversary, attacking an organization and providing feedback from an enemy’s perspective.
- Security Engineer — Design, monitor, and maintain security controls, networks, and systems to help prevent cyberattacks.
[Question 3.1] Read the above, and continue with the next room!
Answer: No answer is needed.
Cheers! ◡̈