Security Research

Labs & Writeups

OverTheWire

Wargame: Bandit (Level 0 - 16)

Fundamental

Objective

Learn fundamental Linux command line skills and basic cybersecurity concepts by solving increasingly difficult challenges.

Tools Used

SSH Bash grep tar/gzip

High-Level Steps

  1. Connected to the Bandit server via SSH on port 2220.
  2. Navigated directories, handled hidden and uniquely named files.
  3. Used filtering and decoding commands (grep, sort, uniq, base64) to extract passwords.
  4. Successfully completed initial 16 levels, demonstrating strong Linux CLI proficiency.

Key Learning

"Mastering the Linux command line is crucial. Everything is a file, and knowing how to search, read, and manipulate them is the basis of security."

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TryHackMe

Room: Burp Suite Basics

Fundamental

Objective

Learn the core features of Burp Suite for web application security testing.

Tools Used

Burp Suite Proxy FoxyProxy Repeater

High-Level Steps

  1. Configured browser proxy settings to intercept traffic.
  2. Captured HTTP requests and modified parameters in Repeater.
  3. Used Intruder to brute-force a login form.
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TryHackMe

Room: Nmap

Easy

Objective

Master Nmap scanning techniques including SYN, UDP, and version detection scans.

Tools Used

Nmap Wireshark Terminal

High-Level Steps

  1. Performed TCP SYN scan (-sS) to identify open ports.
  2. Used -sV for service version detection on discovered ports.
  3. Ran NSE scripts for vulnerability scanning (-sC).
  4. Practiced stealth scanning and firewall evasion techniques.

Key Learning

"Nmap is the first tool in any pentest. Mastering its flags and NSE scripts is essential for efficient reconnaissance."

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TryHackMe

Room: Linux Privilege Escalation

Medium

Objective

Escalate privileges from a standard user to root using various Linux privilege escalation techniques.

Tools Used

LinPEAS GTFOBins SSH Python

High-Level Steps

  1. Enumerated SUID binaries and cron jobs on the target system.
  2. Found misconfigured sudo permissions allowing root access.
  3. Exploited writable /etc/passwd to add a root-level user.
  4. Used PATH hijacking to escalate via a cron job.

Key Learning

"Privilege escalation is about finding misconfigurations. Always check SUID, sudo, cron, and file permissions."

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HackTheBox

Machine: Lame

Easy

Objective

Exploit a vulnerable Samba server to gain root access on a Linux machine.

Tools Used

Nmap Metasploit smbclient

High-Level Steps

  1. Scanned for open services — found FTP, SSH, and SMB.
  2. Discovered Samba 3.0.20 running on port 445.
  3. Used CVE-2007-2447 (username map script) exploit via Metasploit.
  4. Got root shell directly — no privilege escalation needed.

Key Learning

"Service enumeration is key. Outdated services like Samba 3.x have well-documented exploits publicly available."

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