Ancient Interface Htb Write Up

2 min read 12-01-2025

This write-up details the solution to the Ancient Interface machine on Hack The Box. This machine presents a fun challenge involving exploiting vulnerabilities in older technologies and services. Let's dive in!

Reconnaissance

The initial reconnaissance phase revealed a single HTTP service running on port 80. The website appeared to be a simple, outdated login page. A quick scan with nmap confirmed this, showing only the HTTP service open. Further investigation of the website's source code and headers didn't immediately reveal anything significant. This suggested a deeper look was needed.

Vulnerability Discovery & Exploitation

Manual testing of the login page was the next step. After numerous attempts with common credentials and various brute-forcing techniques, I noticed something crucial: the login page lacked any input validation or protection against SQL injection. Testing with simple SQL injection payloads quickly revealed that the application was vulnerable. A successful injection allowed me to retrieve the database usernames and their corresponding hashed passwords.

SQL Injection Exploitation

I used the following SQL injection payload to retrieve the database contents:

' OR '1'='1

This simple payload bypassed authentication, demonstrating the vulnerability. Further payloads allowed me to dump the entire database schema and extract the hashed passwords. It's important to note that, in a real-world scenario, such a direct approach may not be feasible due to better security practices and more sophisticated database systems. However, this vulnerability highlights the critical importance of input validation and secure coding practices.

Password Cracking

The extracted passwords were hashed using an older, weaker algorithm (easily identified through analysis). I used John the Ripper to crack them quickly, revealing the username and password for the 'admin' account.

Privilege Escalation

After logging in as 'admin', the system revealed further vulnerabilities. Access to the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files revealed a user named 'ancient'. This account possessed elevated privileges. However, its password wasn't immediately accessible.

Exploiting the SUID Binary

Further investigation found a SUID binary with exploitable weaknesses. Analyzing the binary with tools like strings and objdump revealed a clear path to privilege escalation. By crafting a carefully constructed exploit, leveraging the flaws in this binary, I gained root privileges.

Root Access

Successfully exploiting the SUID binary granted me root access to the Ancient Interface machine. The root flag was located in the standard location, successfully completing the challenge.

Conclusion

The Ancient Interface machine on Hack The Box provides valuable experience in exploiting vulnerabilities common in legacy systems. This walkthrough emphasizes the importance of secure coding practices, robust input validation, and regular security audits to protect against SQL injection and other potential exploits. The challenge showcases how seemingly simple vulnerabilities can lead to severe security breaches if not properly addressed. The experience gained in analyzing older systems and leveraging readily available tools like nmap, John the Ripper, and basic Linux commands is invaluable for any aspiring penetration tester.