How I Gained Root Access on a Vulnerable Web Server: From Reconnaissance to Privilege Escalation
1 min read
Summary
The article serves as a guide to ethical hackers on how to gain root access to a vulnerable web server using penetration testing techniques.
The process begins with reconnaissance, where attackers gather information about the target server, studying vulnerabilities and ways to exploit them.
Once attackers have identified a suitable vulnerability, such as an undocumented backup file upload, they can upload a reverse shell file and use it to gain initial access to the server.
They can then perform a privilege escalation attack to gain root access, leveraging additional vulnerabilities or misconfigurations to gain higher privileges on the system.
The article provides a comprehensive, real-world example of how these techniques can be chained together to gain root access on a vulnerable web server, emphasizing the importance of responsible and ethical use of these skills.