![]() Running Commands: CS uses a command-line interface to interact with infected systems.Aggressor Script: CS has its own scripting language which allows its users to modify and extend the Beacons functionality.Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) Bypass: CS can bypass AMSI by patching OS functions that limit AMSI’s capabilities.User-Account-Contraol (UAC) Bypass : CS can bypass UAC by utilizing a method called reflective DLL injection.Attackers can run and execute Mimikatz commands directly from the CS command-line interface. Mimikatz: An open-source tool that allows users to view and save credentials, extract plaintext passwords, hash, PIN codes, and Kerberos tickets from the systems memory.Privilege Escalation and Lateral Movement This module can be used along with the website clone tool to lure a victim into CS-owned websites. Phishing: The CS phishing module helps an attacker replace links and text to build a convincing phish in an email template, which it can send to multiple recipients and track who entered them.The kit can be easily modified to suit attacker’s needs. CS provides an internal kit for building shellcode and executables. Windows Loaders and Payload Generator: CS can generate a Windows executable, a script (e.g., PowerShell, HTA), or a raw blob of position-independent code that contains a Beacon.An attacker can lure a victim to enter the cloned website to collect information about the victim’s network. Website Clone Tool: This tool can create a local copy of a website with some code added to fix links and images so they work as they should.MS-Macros Generator: CS can generate VBA code to embed in Office documents.It is designed to collect information on systems or users that visit CS-controlled servers and provide a list of applications and plug-ins discovered (it is not designed to infect a host). System Profiler: A honeypot used as a reconnaissance tool to collect information about a target.The full list of capabilities is available in the MITRE matrix. ![]() ![]() That also means that is not designed to gain initial access to a system, even though it does have components that can help to gain access such as its VBA macros and Windows-executable generators.ĬS provides the attacker a wide set of tools we will cover some of the framework capabilities from an attack-chain point of view. By design the main use of CS is to act as a post-exploitation tool that allows attackers to gather information, harvest credentials, and deploy other payloads on an infected host. This flexibility allows attackers to implement their own tools, use built-in tools, or integrate other penetration testing tools such as the Metasploit framework and Mimikatz. The Beacon console allows the attacker to monitor which tasks were issued to a Beacon and track their status, check the output of commands, and find additional information on targets.Įven though CS is a paid penetration testing product, it is incredibly popular due to its wealth of capabilities and its ability to add new features and modify existing ones. By default, the Beacon will reach out to its C2 periodically, sending meta-data back and gathering any commands issued by the operator. The Beacon has several communication methods to make this happen, including HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, and SMB. CS is primarily used as a post-exploitation tool leveraged by attackers after they have a foothold in a system and want to remain hidden.ĭeploying a Beacon and making sure its communication will stay hidden from cybersecurity products and teams is a critical task for adversaries. The Beacon, which is the main component being used to target accounts, allows its operators to execute commands, log keystrokes, drop files, and communicate with targeted systems. By using this module the attacker can track and execute commands on an infected host and utilize all of the framework capabilities. ![]() The server module, aka team server, is the controller of the Beacon payload. The framework is split into two components: client and server. ĬS provides a wealth of functionality to the attacker, including command execution, key logging, file transfer, privilege escalation, port scanning, lateral movement, and more. Given this reality, it’s been used frequently in recent cyber-attacks. The simplicity, reliability, and versatility of CS make it very popular among threat actors-and there are plenty of cracked versions of CS available on the dark web. Cobalt Strike (CS) is a paid penetration testing toolkit that allows an attacker to deploy a component named Beacon on a victim’s machine.
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