Chapter 4: Hacking Webpages

Getting the Password File Through FTP

Ok well one of the easiest ways of getting superuser access is through
anonymous ftp access into a webpage. First you need learn a little about
the password file...

root:User:d7Bdg:1n2HG2:1127:20:Superuser
TomJones:p5Y(h0tiC:1229:20:Tom Jones,:/usr/people/tomjones:/bin/csh
BBob:EUyd5XAAtv2dA:1129:20:Billy Bob:/usr/people/bbob:/bin/csh

This is an example of a regular encrypted password file. The Superuser is
the part that gives you root. That's the main part of the file.

root:x:0:1:Superuser:/:
ftp:x:202:102:Anonymous ftp:/u1/ftp:
ftpadmin:x:203:102:ftp Administrator:/u1/ftp

This is another example of a password file, only this one has one little
difference, it's shadowed. Shadowed password files don't let you view or
copy the actual encrypted password.  This causes problems for the password
cracker and dictionary maker(both explained later in the text). Below is
another example of a shadowed password file:

root:x:0:1:0000-Admin(0000):/:/usr/bin/csh
daemon:x:1:1:0000-Admin(0000):/:
bin:x:2:2:0000-Admin(0000):/usr/bin:
sys:x:3:3:0000-Admin(0000):/:
adm:x:4:4:0000-Admin(0000):/var/adm:
lp:x:71:8:0000-lp(0000):/usr/spool/lp:
smtp:x:0:0:mail daemon user:/:
uucp:x:5:5:0000-uucp(0000):/usr/lib/uucp:
nuucp:x:9:9:0000-uucp(0000):/var/spool/uucppublic:/usr/lib/uucp/uucico
listen:x:37:4:Network Admin:/usr/net/nls:
nobody:x:60001:60001:uid no body:/:
noaccess:x:60002:60002:uid no access:/:
webmastr:x:53:53:WWW Admin:/export/home/webmastr:/usr/bin/csh
pin4geo:x:55:55:PinPaper Admin:/export/home/webmastr/new/gregY/test/pin4geo:/bin/false
ftp:x:54:54:Anonymous FTP:/export/home/anon_ftp:/bin/false

Shadowed password files have an "x" in the place of a password or sometimes
they are disguised as an * as well.

Now that you know a little more about what the actual password file looks
like you should be able to identify a normal encrypted pw from a shadowed
pw file. We can now go on to talk about how to crack it.

Cracking a password file isn't as complicated as it would seem, although the
files vary from system to system. 1.The first step that you would take is
to download or copy the file. 2. The second step is to find a password
cracker and a dictionary maker. Although it's nearly impossible to find a
good cracker there are a few ok ones out there. I recomend that you look
for Cracker Jack, John the Ripper, Brute Force Cracker, or Jack the Ripper.
Now for a dictionary maker or a dictionary file...  When you start a
cracking prog you will be asked to find the the password file. That's where
a dictionary maker comes in. You can download one from nearly every hacker
page on the net.  A dictionary maker finds all the possible letter
combinations with the alphabet that you choose(ASCII, caps, lowercase, and
numeric letters may also be added) .  We will be releasing our pasword file
to the public soon, it will be called, Psychotic Candy, "The Perfect Drug."
As far as we know it will be one of the largest in circulation. 3. You then start up the cracker and follow the directions that it gives
you.


The PHF Technique

Well I wasn't sure if I should include this section due to the fact that
everybody already knows it and most servers have already found out about
the bug and fixed it. But since I have been asked questions about the phf
I decided to include it.

The phf technique is by far the easiest way of getting a password file
(although it doesn't work 95% of the time). But to do the phf all you do
is open a browser and type in the following link:

http://webpage_goes_here/cgi-bin/phf?Qalias=x%0a/bin/cat%20/etc/passwd 

You replace the webpage_goes_here with the domain. So if you were trying to
get the pw file for www.webpage.com you would type:

http://www.webpage.com/cgi-bin/phf?Qalias=x%0a/bin/cat%20/etc/passwd

and that's it! You just sit back and copy the file(if it works).

The best way to get root is with an exploit. Exploits are explained in the
next chapter.





This page was created Wed Aug 11 23:17:20 EDT 1999


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