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Use of Metasploit Framework in Kali Linux

Technical Report · April 2015

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.12377.93284

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 Metasploit Framework with Kali Linux
Umesh Timalsina1 and Kiran Gurung1
1
Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering , IOE, Thapathali Campus ,
Thapathali, Kathmandu

March 10, 2017

1 Introduction
In this report, we present a tutorial on using the Metasploit framework on Kali Linux. [1] Metasploit
project is a computer security project that aids in penetration testing IDS signature development
by providing information about the vulnerabilities in the system. The Metasploit framework is an
open source tool for performing an exploit against a remote target machine. With the Metasploit
framework installed in a system, a legitimate penetration tester can use the tools provided by the
framework to exploit the vulnerabilities present in the remote system.
The rest of the report is organized as follows. First, we present a brief introduction and history of
the Metasploit project and [Link], we will give an introduction to the type of interfaces
provided by the framework in kali-linux. Third, we go through the basic terminologies in the
Metasploit Framework. Fourth, we will present a few example exploits on various operating systems
using the VM technology. At last, we leave few concluding remarks on metasploit framework.

1.1 History

In summer of 2003, H D Moore, a network security expert, found the Metasploit project with a
goal to provide a pubic resource for exploit code research and development. All of the code was
written using PERL and by the end of 2007, all of it has been re-written in RUBY. From 2009, the
project has been acquired by Rapid7, a company that provides vulnerability management solutions.

1.2 The Framework

The framework consists of tools, libraries, modules, and user interfaces. The basic function of the
framework is a module launcher, allowing the user to configure an exploit module and launch it
at a target system [2].the exploit succeeds, the payload is executed on the target and the user is
provided with shell to interact with the payload. Hundreds of exploits and dozens of payload options
are available [2]. Currently, Metasploit Framework has support for a number of operating systems,
specifically, Linux, MAC-OS, Windows, Android and few others.
The basic steps for exploiting a system using the Framework include [1]:
1. Choosing and configuring an exploit (code that enters a target system by taking advantage of
one of its bugs; about 900 different exploits for Windows, Unix/Linux and Mac OS X systems
are included).
2. Optionally checking whether the intended target system is susceptible to the chosen exploit.

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 3. Choosing and configuring a payload (code that will be executed on the target system upon
successful entry; for instance, a remote shell or a VNC server).
4. Choosing the encoding technique so that the intrusion-prevention system (IPS) ignores the
encoded payload.
5. Executing the exploit.
The modular combination, that is the option of combining any module with any payload is one of
the major advantages of using the Metasploit framework.

2 Metasploit with Kali Linux [3]

Kali Linux is a debian derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration
testing. Kali Linux comes with a number of tools aiding the purpose of penetration testing and
network security. Kali Linux comes pre-installed with Metasploit Framework.
In Kali Linux, Metasploit offers more than one interface to its underlying functionality, including
console, command line, and graphical interfaces [3]. Following are the interfaces available:
1. MSFconsole
2. MSFcli
3. Armitage
Inorder to get an access to the following interfaces that are listed below, one must start postgresqul
service in the terminal. This is done using the service postgresql start in the terminal.

2.1 MSFconsole

Msfconsole is by far the most popular part of the Metasploit Framework, and for good reason. It is
one of the most flexible, feature-rich, and well supported tools within the Framework. MSFconsole
provides a handy all-in-one interface to almost every option and setting available in the Framework;
it’s like a one-stop shop for all of your exploitation dreams. You can use msfconsole to do every-
thing, including launching an exploit, loading auxiliary modules, performing enumeration, creating
listeners, or running mass exploitation against an entire network.
To launch MSFconsole, enter msfconsole in the command line interface of kali linux terminal.

2.2 MSFcli

Msfcli and msfconsole take very different approaches to providing access to the Framework. Where
msfconsole provides an interactive way to access all features in a user-friendly manner, msfcli puts
the priority on scripting and interpretability with other console-based tools. Instead of providing
a unique interpreter to the Framework, msfcli runs directly from the command line, which allows
users to redirect output from other tools into msfcli and direct msfcli output to other command-line
tools. Msfcli also supports the launching of exploits and auxiliary modules, and it can be convenient
when testing modules or developing new exploits for the Framework.

2.3 Armitage

The armitage component of Metasploit is a fully interactive graphical user interface created by
Raphael Mudge. This interface is highly impressive, feature rich, and available for free. GUI is

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awesome once one understand how the Framework actually operates.
To launch Armitage, enter armitage in the CLI of kali linux terminal.

3 Basic Terminologies [3]

Here, we will look into the basic terminologies and their meaning in the Meatsploit Framework.

3.1 Exploit

An exploit is the means by which an attacker, or pen tester for that matter, takes advantage of a flaw
within a system, an application, or a service. An attacker uses an exploit to attack a system in a way
that results in a particular desired outcome that the developer never intended. Common exploits
include buffer overflows, web application vulnerabilities (such as SQL injection), and configuration
errors.

3.2 Payload

A payload is code that we want the system to execute and that is to be selected and delivered by
the Framework. For example, a reverse shell is a payload that creates a connection from the target
machine back to the attacker as a Windows command prompt, whereas a bind shell is a payload
that “binds” a command prompt to a listening port on the target machine, which the attacker can
then connect. A payload could also be something as simple as a few commands to be executed on
the target operating system.

3.3 Shellcode

Shellcode is a set of instructions used as a payload when exploitation occurs. Shellcode is typically
written in assembly language. In most cases, a command shell or a Meterpreter shell will be provided
after the series of instructions have been performed by the target machine, hence the name.

3.4 Module

A module is a piece of software that can be used by the Metasploit Framework. At times, users may
require the use of an exploit module, a software component that conducts the attack. Other times,
an auxiliary module may be required to perform an action such as scanning or system enumeration.
These interchangeable modules are the core of what makes the Framework so powerful.

3.5 Listener

A listener is a component within Metasploit that waits for an incoming connection of some sort. For
example, after the target machine has been exploited, it may call the attacking machine over the
Internet. The listener handles that connection, waiting on the attacking machine to be contacted
by the exploited system .

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4 Exploit Demonstration using VMware Workstation and
Virtual Box
In this section we present few ways to attack a remote target with VMware workstation and Oracle
Virtual Box. The main purpose of the VMware Workstation/ Virtual is to install Kali linux as a
virtual machine, using them as virtual machine managers. With Kali Linux in VM, we present an
attack on windows 8, windows 7 and a more vulnerable Metasploitable operating system and how
it is done using the Metasploit framework. Here, We have used both MSFconsole and MSFcli for
attacking the target machine. We now show the way we attacked the target Windows 8.

4.1 The Exploit

The attack is simple, first we create a malicious payload as an executable file for the target host
within the network.
At first, we enabled the service postgresql in Kali Linux. Second, we start the MSFconsole in Kali
Linux. After that, we chose a suitable payload: reverse tcp in our case. This payload is used togather
with msfvenom exploit library. The specific attack type is X86/shikata ga nai Here, we also have
the IP address of the local host set to [Link]. The default architecture is set to 32-bit. This
is demonstrated by the screen shot given below:

Figure 1: Selecting Reverse TCP as Payload

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The process above generates the executable file shown in figure 2:

Figure 2: [Link] (properties)

This .exe file is then executed in the target 32-bit Windows-8 system. Upon successful execution,
the target system is compromised and we have successfully exploited the system. The result is
straight forward, a meterpreter cell opens up in the host computer, which in our case is the Kali
Linux running in VMware workstation.
The meterpreter cell is a command line cell that provides access to the remote system, with various
options to reconfigure and access the exploited system resources. The meterpreter cell can be used in
various ways to use, reconfigure, sometimes even damage the exploited system resources. A screen
shot of the meterpreter cell is shown in figure 3. Figure 4 shows a screen shot of an attack on
windows 7 using the same framework. This has also been achieved by a similar method described
above. The meterpreter cell is also shown in the figure.

Figure 3: meterpreter cell

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 Figure 4: An attack on windows 7

Figure 5 is an attack on the test vulnerable OS, that was developed along with the metaexploitable
project [3]. This exploit also follows a similar method.

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 Figure 5: An exploit on metaexploitable OS

5 Conclusion
In conclusion, Metasploit framework is a powerful tool for exploiting a remote target machine. With
more than 900 attacks obtained by multiple combinations of payloads and exploit types, the ever
increasing need for patching the vulnerabilities in the system can be dealt with a great deal of
information about them and risk of an attack happening by exploiting a particular vulnerability.

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 References
[1] Metasploit Project: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrived from [Link]
[2] The Metasploit framework. Retrived from. [Link]
[3] David Kennedy, Jim O’Gorman, Devon Kearns, and Mati Aharoni (2011). METASPLOIT: The
Penetration Tester’s Guide. Sanfransisco: no starch press.

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