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Lateral Log4Shell offensive example

Lateral log4shell​

Overview​

This workflow demonstrates a multi-stage lateral movement attack scenario for security testing purposes. It simulates an initial SSH brute-force compromise followed by network discovery and exploitation of the Log4Shell vulnerability (CVE-2021-44228) on internal systems, showcasing realistic attack paths that security teams need to defend against.

How It Works​

  1. Target Input Processing: Receives input file containing target network information, SSH credentials lists, and initial reconnaissance data for the attack simulation.
  2. SSH Brute-Force Attack: Executes Hydra password attacks against detected SSH services to gain initial foothold on the target system through credential brute-forcing.
  3. Result Parsing: Processes and analyzes the brute-force attack results using JSON parsing scripts to extract successful credentials and establish initial access points.
  4. Initial System Compromise: Leverages successful SSH credentials to gain shell access and establish persistence on the initially compromised machine for further exploration.
  5. Lateral Movement Execution: Performs parallel compromise attempts on discovered internal systems:
    • Network Discovery: Identifies additional machines within the internal network accessible from the compromised host
    • Log4Shell Exploitation: Targets vulnerable Log4j implementations (CVE-2021-44228) on discovered internal systems to achieve lateral movement and expand attack footprint

Who is this for?​

  • Penetration testers conducting lateral movement assessments
  • Red teams simulating advanced persistent threat (APT) scenarios
  • Security teams validating network segmentation and detection capabilities
  • Organizations testing incident response procedures for multi-stage attacks

What problem does this workflow solve?​

  • Demonstrates realistic attack progression from initial access to lateral movement for security awareness and testing
  • Validates organizational defenses against credential-based attacks and vulnerable service exploitation
  • Provides structured methodology for testing network segmentation effectiveness and internal monitoring capabilities
  • Enables security teams to practice incident response procedures for complex, multi-vector attack scenarios involving both brute-force and vulnerability exploitation techniques