Pentest Workbench

Comprehensive offensive security workflow for bug bounty, vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and exploitation. Use when performing security testing, analyzing vulnerable targets, conducting privilege escalation, building exploits, or running reconnaissance. Covers: TCP buffer overflows (vulnserver), web application testing (VulnerableWordpress/WPScan), honeypot analysis (Cowrie), GTFOBins/LOLBAS privesc, pwn.college fundamentals, and offensive toolchain automation. Triggers on: run a pentest, exploit this, buffer overflow, privesc, OSCP, CTF, bug bounty, vulnerability assessment, rev shell, test this target.

Quick Start

1. Define scope — target, rules of engagement, goals
2. Recon — passive OSINT, network enumeration
3. Identify — find vulnerabilities, misconfigs, weak points
4. Exploit — leverage findings with appropriate technique
5. Document — record steps, evidence, impact, remediation

Core Workflow

Phase 1: Recon & Enumeration

• Network OSINT: Use nmap, masscan, rustscan for port discovery
• Passive OSINT: Subdomain enum, WHOIS, Shodan, Censys, Google dorking
• Web recon: Dirbuster, ffuf, Burp Suite crawler
• For vulnerable targets: Netcat manual command probing first

Tools from linked repos:

• netstalking-osint — automated OSINT recon workflows
• Pentest-Tools (40+ categories) — scanner/framework discovery, network_enum

Phase 2: Vulnerability Analysis

• Web: WPScan for WordPress, sqlmap for SQLi, Burp for auth bypass
• Network: nmap NSE scripts, Metasploit, searchsploit
• Binary: IDA/Ghidra for RE, checksec for mitigations
• Config reviews: weak permissions, default creds, exposed secrets

Phase 3: Exploitation

Buffer Overflow (vulnserver pattern):

1. Send oversized input to identify crash point
2. Control EIP with offset measurement
3. Find stable jump (JMP ESP / call esp)
4. Generate shellcode (msfvenom / custom)
5. Execute with proper alignment

Web:

• SQLi → sqlmap or manual union/boolean
• XSS → Beef/XSS Hunter
• RCE → reverse shell via pentest-tools

Privesc (GTFOBins):

# Check sudo/suid binaries
sudo -l
find / -perm -4000 2>/dev/null

# Shell escape from restricted editor
:!/bin/bash

AD Attacks (Pentest-Tools):

• Kerberoasting, AS-REP roasting, SMB relay
• BloodHound/Sharphound enum → Golden/DFSRM

Phase 4: Post-Exploitation

• Cowrie honeypot: analyze attacker sessions for TTPs
• Privilege escalation: kernel exploits, sudo abuse, service misconfigs
• Persistence: scheduled tasks, services, SSH keys
• Lateral movement: PsExec, WMI, SMB, Pass-the-Hash

Phase 5: Documentation

• Steps reproducible by another tester
• Evidence: screenshots, packet captures, log output
• Impact: CVSS score, business risk
• Remediation: specific, actionable fixes

Key References

• Binary exploitation: See references/buffer-overflow.md (vulnserver anatomy, exploit dev)
• Privesc: See references/privesc.md (GTFOBins/LOLBAS, Linux/Windows escalation)
• Tool inventory: See references/tools-inventory.md (all linked tools catalogued)
• pwn.college: CTF exercises for memory corruption, ROP, kernel fundamentals

Exploit Dev (vulnserver)

Vulnserver runs on port 9999. Vulnerable commands:

Command	Trigger Function	Buffer Size	Overflow Offset
TRUN	Function3	2000	~2003 (EIP at ~2007)
GMON	Function3	2000	Similar to TRUN
KSTET	Function2	60	~64
GTER	Function1	140	~144
LTER	Function3	2000	Via transformation
HTER	Function4	1000	Hex-encoded

Key insight: essfunc.dll EssentialFunc10-14 also use strcpy into small buffers (140, 60, 2000, 2000, 1000).

Exploit strategy:

1. Find offset with pattern_create / mona.py
2. Confirm EIP control
3. Locate or craft a ROP chain if ASLR/DEP present
4. Generate alphanumeric shellcode if bad chars restrict ASCII
5. Use egghunter if space is small

Tool Quick Ref

Tool	Purpose	Key Command
nmap	Port enum	nmap -sCV -p- -T4 target
Burp Suite	Web testing	Proxy, Repeater, Intruder
sqlmap	SQL injection	sqlmap -r req.txt --batch
msfvenom	Shellcode gen	msfvenom -p linux/x64/shell_tcp LHOST=x R
CrackMapExec	AD attacks	cme smb target -u user -p pass
Evil-WinRM	Remote shell	evil-winrm -i target -u user -p pass

Mindset

• Methodical > flashy — good recon beats brute force
• Always document as you go — screenshot everything
• Understand the payload — not just "it works"
• Think like defender — what would stop this attack?