Metasploit Basics

MSFDB

• After install initialize the MSF database for the first time with

sudo msfdb init

• View if the database is running/start the database

sudo msfdb start
sudo msfdb status
sudo msfdb stop

• start the framework

msfconsole -q

Basics

• Search for modules

search [regex]

• Specify exploit

use exploit /path/to/exploit

Types of Payloads

• Singles

  • Singles are payloads that are self-contained and completely standalone. These can be as simple as running calc.exe, adding a user to the system or deleting a file. Since single payloads are self-contained, they can be caught with non-metasploit handlers like netcat for example.

• Stager

  • Stagers are payloads that setup a network connection between victim and attacker and download additional components or applications. A typical example of a stager is one that makes the victim system setup a tcp connection to the attacker: the reverse_tcp stager. Another example is the bind_tcp stager that lets the victim open a tcp listener to which the attacker will make a connection.

• Stages

  • Stages are payload components that are downloaded by a stager. These payloads provide advanced features with no size limits. Some examples are a simple shell, but also VNC Injection, iPhone 'ipwn' shell and Meterpreter

• In Metasploit, the type of payload can be deducted from its name.

  • Single payloads have the format <target> / <single>

  • Stager/Stage payloads have the format <target> / <stage> / <stager>

• When executing the show payloads command in Metasploit, it shows a list of compatible payloads (or all payloads when not executed in the context of a module).

show payloads

• Specify Payload

set payload path/to/payload

• Set option

set [option] [value]

• Run Exploit

run
exploit 
#either will work