Here’s a structured text walkthrough for attacking using Metasploit. This assumes you have Metasploitable 3 (Windows Server 2008 / Windows 2012) running and Kali Linux as the attacker.
Privilege escalation involves identifying misconfigurations—such as insecure service permissions or unpatched kernel vulnerabilities—that allow a user to gain higher-level access, such as "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM." Analyzing these paths helps administrators implement the Principle of Least Privilege. 2. Credential Security and Password Hashing metasploitable 3 windows walkthrough
Ensure your attacking machine (Kali Linux) is on the same host-only network as the Metasploitable 3 instance. 2. Information Gathering Here’s a structured text walkthrough for attacking using
Change all default passwords for application managers (Tomcat, GlassFish) and system accounts. metasploitable 3 windows walkthrough
. Identifying that a web server is running "IIS 8.5" or "Apache 2.4.23" allows the attacker to cross-reference known CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures). Phase II: The Initial Foothold (Web Exploitation)
This often grants SYSTEM level access immediately, as the service runs with high privileges. 5. Exploitation Path C: Weak Credentials (SMB/MSSQL)