Stealthy Peer-to-peer C&C over SMB pipes
Beacon is my payload for low and slow control of a compromised system. Recently, I added peer-to-peer communication to Beacon. When two Beacons are linked,
Browser Pivoting (Get past two-factor auth)
Several months ago, I was asked if I had a way to get past two-factor authentication on web applications. Criminals do it, but penetration testers
Beacon – An Operator’s Guide
Beacon is a payload in Cobalt Strike that has a lot of communication flexibility. This blog post is not a replacement for the documentation, but rather
Phishing System Profiles without Phone Calls
What type of reconnaissance do you do before a phishing attack? Recently, I was having dinner with new friends and inevitably, our conversation became a
Hacking through a Straw (Pivoting over DNS)
Last month, I announced Beacon’s ability to control a host over DNS. I see Beacon as a low and slow lifeline to get an active session,
That’ll never work–we don’t allow port 53 out
One of my favorite Cobalt Strike features is its ability to quietly manage a compromised system with DNS. Being rather proud of this feature, I
Cobalt Strike Updates 03.06.13
Just in time for this weekend’s North East Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition event, I have a fresh update to Armitage and Cobalt Strike. Here’s the
My Software Development Practices: The Joel Test
Joel Spolsky is one of my favorite writers on the topic of software development. He coined a 12-step Joel Test to determine if your company
Fresh Paint for the Java Applet Attack
Java is a popular vector for penetration testers and those who penetrate networks without an invitation. An attacker creates a website to host a Java
Keystroke Logging with Beacon
I feel asynchronous low and slow C2 is a missing piece in the penetration tester’s toolkit. Beacon is Cobalt Strike’s answer to this problem. Beacon