[Following part 1 and part 2 where we built an infrastructure with different systems, below article will focus on the Web Stack and will show how the ASP.NET code has been modified in order to make the application less secure. This will allow us to understand the security mechanism enforced by the application in order to make it defenseless and practice our security tools and techniques! ~Luis]
Instead of modifying the secure test application, the reader could use an existing vulnerable web application. Likewise, the reader could use test sites that allow him to practice hacker techniques in a wide variety of security realms. Just chose one from Aman Hardikar’s awesome mind map with various penetration testing practice labs and vulnerable applications (Hardikar, 2013). But on the other hand, building an infrastructure with simple IT services such as directory services, messaging services and a web stack will allow the reader to enhance the depth and breadth of its skills not only from a security perspective but also from a systems and networking viewpoint.
Also, It is valuable to be exposed to defense and offense. Through the process of creating this environment and then growing it at will, the reader can practice both sides. In this environment a simple and secure web application is created and then its defenses are reduced. For instance, while following the mentioned book to create an ASP.NET website the code uses strong protections against SQL Injection using parameterized queries, stored procedures and data validation controls (Posey, Barnett & Darie, 2011). To make the application less secure, the reader first has to understand the security techniques employed by this application. The same applies to other technologies. For example techniques that protect against malicious user input. Once the code is vulnerable, the reader can explore attack techniques.
After building the mentioned web application – the code is available for free on GitHub -, 4 steps are executed to make it vulnerable: First, a user account with system administration privileges is created. Second, the SQL parameterized statements are replaced by dynamic SQL statements. Third, the code is changed to make the application disclose error information and finally, the data validation code is removed to avoid input sanitization based on type, length, format or range.
For step one, go into the SQL Management Studio on your database server and create a user with system administration privilege (sysadmin) as illustrated in the left side of the following figure.
This user will be used to define a database connection using SQL authentication. Then start changing the .NET application code using Visual Web Developer 2010 Express. For reference the right side of previous figure shows how these code files look. Next, web.config is modified. The authentication mechanism used by the application to connect to the database will change from integrated authentication to SQL authentication as shown on the left side of below figure (Posey, Barnett & Darie, 2011). After making the change make sure the application can be compiled and is working as expected. Next change HelpDesk.aspx.cs. Remove the block of code that contains the parameterized SQL statements and replace it with a dynamic SQL as shown in right side of the following figure.
Following that, step three is to customize the Try-Catch-Finally code block in HelpDesk.aspx.cs as shown on the below figure. This allows the web application to throw error messages and disclose them locally. Finally change HelpDesk.aspx and remove input data validation by commenting it out. This will facilitate the attack methods later on. The left side of the below figure shows the code block that should be removed or commented.
In addition, disable the EnableEventValidation and ValidateRequests directives by setting them to false in the header of the HelpDesk.aspx (see below figure).
By following these steps the reader made the HelpDesk.aspx page vulnerable to SQL injection. This is going to be demonstrated in the next articles. It is not an intent to make the reader a .NET developer. Still, it is up to the reader if he wants to further read and explore more about what are those measures that were removed or just follow the steps in order to practice the tools and tactics in the upcoming articles.
References:
Hardikar, A. (2013, 06). Penetration testing practice lab – vulnerable apps / systems. Retrieved from http://www.amanhardikar.com/mindmaps/Practice.html
Posey, T., Barnett, W., & Darie, C. (2011). Build your own asp.net 4 web site using c# & VB, 4th edition. SitePoint
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