Stages of a Cyber Attack: Reconnaissance, Scanning, Gaining Access, Maintaining Access, Covering Tracks

1. CSCD 434 Lecture 3 Spring 2019 Reconnaissance

2. Attack Stages • There are many reasons why attacks happen • Altruistic reasons from white hat hackers to sheer profits from cyber criminals • Serious attackers, accomplish goals in stages • Ed Skoudis, well-known security expert identifies • 5 stages of attack • He is a SANS instructor, author of popular book, Counter Hack Reloaded, 2nd Ed. https://www.amazon.com/Counter-Hack-Reloaded-Step-Step/dp/0131481045

3. Attack Stages 1. Reconnaissance 2. Scanning 3. Gaining Access 4. Maintaining Access 5. Covering Tracks and Hiding Today, look at Reconnaissance ...

4. Reconnaissance Reconnaissance is probably longest phase, sometimes lasting weeks or months Learn as much as possible about target business and how it operates, including Internet searches Social engineering Dumpster diving Domain name management/search services Non-intrusive network scanning

5. Scanning Once attacker has enough information to understand how business works and information of value He or she begins process of scanning perimeter and internal network devices looking for weaknesses, including: Open ports Open services Vulnerable applications, including operating systems Weak protection of data in transit Make and model of each piece of LAN/WAN equipment

6. Gaining Access Gaining access to resources is whole point of a modern-day attack. Usual goal is to either extract information of value to attacker or use network as launch site for attacks against other targets Attacker must gain some level of access to one or more network devices Once access is gained, has to increase his privilege to administrator level so can install applications used to exploit resources

7. Maintaining Access Having gained access, attacker must maintain access long enough to accomplish his or her objectives Attacker must be stealthy, so as to not get caught while using host environment Trojans, Rootkits or other malicious malware is typically used. Aim to maintain access to target until he accomplished tasks

8. Covering Tracks and Hiding After achieving his or her objectives, attacker often takes steps to hide intrusion leaves controls left behind for future visits No thief wants to get caught. A smart hacker always clears evidence so that later, no one will find any traces leading to him This involves modifying/corrupting/deleting Logs, modifying registry values and uninstalling applications and deleting folders

9. Another Model of Attack Stages Our book has another attack model known as Cyber Kill Chain, Chapter 1 Developed by military contractor, Lockheed Martin patterned after military process to target and engage an enemy

10. Steps of an Attack • Cyber Kill Chain outlines steps of an attack: 1. Reconnaissance - probe for information about the system: type of hardware or software used 2. Weaponization - attacker creates an exploit and packages it into a deliverable payload 3. Delivery- weapon is transmitted to the target 4. Exploitation - after weapon is delivered, the exploitation stage triggers the intruder’s exploit 5. Installation - the weapon is installed to either attack the computer or install a remote “backdoor” CompTIA Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals, Fifth Edition 10

11. Steps of an Attack • Cyber Kill Chain outlines the steps of an attack (cont’d): 6. Command and Control- the comprised system connects back to the attacker so that the system can be remotely controlled by the attacker 7. Action on Objectives- now the attackers can start to take actions to achieve their original objectives CompTIA Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals, Fifth Edition 11

12. Reconnaissance

13. Purpose of Reconnaissance • What is the purpose of reconnaissance? • Find out information about target(s)‏ • More experienced attackers invest time and resources in information discovery • Like bank robbers • Do they just decide one day to rob a bank? • No. At least successful ones • Research vaults, locks, address of bank and map an escape route • Computer Attack – no different

14. Attack Reconnaissance • Sources • Low Technology • Social Engineering • Physical Reconnaissance • Dumpster Diving

15. Attack Reconnaissance • Social Engineering • Employees give away sensitive information • Most successful are calls to employees • Call help desk as “new” employee for help with a particular task • Angry manager calls lower level employee because password has suddenly stopped working • System administrator calls employee to fix her account ... requires using her password

16. Social Engineering • Social engineering works, because it exploits human vulnerabilities • Desire to help • Hope for a reward • Fear of making a mistake • Fear of getting in trouble • Fear of getting someone else in trouble

17. Social Engineering • Most Talented Social Engineer • Kevin Mitnick, served almost five years in prison for breaking into computers and “stealing” data from telecommunications companies • How did he do it? Built up inside knowledge, developed trust relationships, and lots of patience • To get information needed to complete a hack, Mitnick spent days • Learning internal company lingo • Developing emotional connections with key people • Security personnel and system administrators

18. Social Engineering is Easy Example Compare Social Engineering vs. Traditional way to obtain user password Assume already have user name, Ex. ctaylor Got it from Web site, news or forum group Traditional Steps 1. Scan network to identify open ports 2. Assume you got an open port and machine didn't have latest patches, install a rootkit onto victim network 3. Map entire network, looking for a password file May be large number of subnets and hosts

19. Social Engineering is Easy 4. Locate and copy encrypted password file Need to dump password file to your server to process the file Remain stealth entire time, modifying logs, altering registry keys to conceal when files were accessed 5. Run cracking tools against encrypted file In privacy of own network, John the Ripper or Cain and Able will crack the file Takes about a week ...

20. Social Engineering is Easy Compare Social Engineering vs. Traditional way to obtain user password Same goals but now with Social Engineering 1. Make a phone call, 2. Make another phone call, while you are chatting, ask for and receive logon credentials May be able to do it in one step, if lucky!!

21. Defences for Social Engineering • User Awareness • Train them to not give out sensitive information • Security awareness program should inform employees about social engineering attacks • No reason why a system administrator ever needs you to give him/her your password • Help desk should have a way to verify the identify of any user requesting help • Other ideas?

22. Attack Reconnaissance • Physical Reconnaissance • Several Categories • Tailgaiting, Shoulder Surfing, other tricks • Tailgaiting • Usually easy to look like you belong to an organization • Can sometimes walk through the door • Can pose as someone related to an employee to gain access • Temps, contractors, customers and suppliers all potentially have access

23. Tailgaiting Follow an authorized person into building Look like you belong, have reason for being there, dress the part and act like you belong Phone company or other service technician Once inside, person is not typically challenged Key, Looks like he belongs Has company logos, or carries briefcase, toolkit People take person at face value Partly social engineering too

24. True Story Person on the right looks like person on the left Person below walked around A NIST building in Washington DC unchallenged Guards even held open doors for him to enter secure areas

25. Tailgaiting • Physical Reconnaissance • Once inside, have access to lots of information • Physical access to internal networks • Passwords, user information, internal telephone numbers, anything you want • Defences • Badges and biometric information • Educate people against letting people into the building • Teach employees to question people they don't know

26. Shoulder Surfing Another physical method of gaining sensitive information Coffee shops, airport lounges, hotel lobbies Many people are completely unaware of being spied upon What can you learn? Private email sessions, government documents, corporate secrets, user names or passwords Even classified documents over the shoulder of an unwary government employee Defense – Be aware of who is around

27. Dumpster Diving • Originated by phone phreaks Precursor to hackers • AT&T's monopoly days, before paper shredders became common • Phone phreakers used to organize regular dumpster runs against phone company plants and offices • Their Target Discarded and damaged copies of AT&T internal manuals • Learned about phone equipment

28. Attack Reconnaissance • Dumpster Diving • In General • Go through someone’s trash • Recover copies of • Credit card receipts, • Reports, • Passwords, usernames and other sensitive information

29. Dumpster Diving EWU Student in Spring, 2008 found SSN number, address and SAT scores of high school student applying to EWU Mall in Spokane Another student, Fall 2008 Found little of interest when he staked out a store and had trouble accessing trash Found some information, not sensitive

30. Defense Against Dumpster Diving Defence Shred all paper including post-it notes Don’t throw away thumb drives, CD’s or other electronic media Secure trash areas, fence, locked gates

31. Technical Attack Reconnaissance

32. Domain Names • Domain Names • Registration process provides • Guarantee of unique name • Enter name in Whois and DNS Databases • Registrars • Before 1999, one registrar, Network Solutions • Now, thousands of registrars compete for clients http://www.internic.net/alpha.html complete list of registrars

33. Domain Names • Internet Network Information Center http://www.internic.net/whois.html • Search for domain name’s registrar • Comes back with registrar and other information

34. Internic.net/whois.html phptr.com

35. Example from Internic.net/whois phptr.com

36. Example Whois Query • Tryit, Lets enter counterhack.net • http://www.internic.net/whois.html, Answer is Domain Name: COUNTERHACK.NET Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC Whois Server: whois.networksolutions.com Referral URL: http://www.networksolutions.com Name Server: NS1.NETFIRMS.COM Name Server: NS2.NETFIRMS.COM Status: clientTransferProhibited Updated Date: 21-jun-2006 Creation Date: 22-jun-2001 Expiration Date: 22-jun-2008

37. Attack Reconnaissance • Whois DB’s • For other countries, use http://www.uwhois.com • Military sites, use http://www.nic.mil/dodnic • Education, use http://whois.educause.net/

38. Attack Reconnaissance • Details from the Whois DB • After obtaining the target’s registrar, attacker can obtain detailed records on target from whois entries at registrar's site • Can look up information by • Company name • Domain name • IP address • Human contact • Host or server name

39. Attack Reconnaissance • Details from the Whois DB • If only know Company’s name Whois DB will provide lot more information • Human contacts • Phone numbers • e-mail addresses • Postal address • Name servers – the DNS servers • Network Solutions http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

40. Counterhack.net Registrant: Skoudis, Edward 417 5TH AVE FL 11 NEW YORK, NY 10016-2204 US Domain Name: COUNTERHACK.NET Administrative Contact : Skoudis, Edward Ed.Skoudis@predictive.com 417 5TH AVE FL 11 NEW YORK, NY 10016-2204 US Phone: 732-751-1024

41. Counterhack.net .. Old Data - 2007 Technical Contact : Network Solutions, LLC. customerservice@networksolutions.com 13861 Sunrise Valley Drive Herndon, VA 20171 , US Phone: 1-888-642-9675 Fax: 571-434-4620 Record expires on 22-Jun-2008 Record created on 22-Jun-2001 Database last updated on 21-Jun-2006 Domain servers in listed order: NS1.NETFIRMS.COM 64.34.74.221 NS2.NETFIRMS.COM 66.244.253.1

42. Attack Reconnaissance • ARIN DB • In addition to the Whois DB, another source of information is the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)‏ • ARIN maintains Web-accessible, whois-style DB lets users gather information about who owns particular IP address ranges • Can look up IP’s in North and South America, Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa • Use:http://ws.arin.net/ • Then, type in IP address at the whois prompt • In Europe use, Re’seaux IP Euorope’ens Network Coordination Centr (RIPE NCC) http://www.ripe.net

43. Attack Recon Whois command Or, instead of going to the Internet, you can just type whois from the command line of Linux If the port number is not blocked!!! $ whois counterhack.net This will display all of the information available from the public dns records for that domain

44. Attack Reconnaissance • Domain Name System (DNS)‏ • DNS is a worldwide hierarchical DB • Already said ... Organizations must have DNS records for their systems associated with a domain’s name • Using DNS records, attacker can compile a list of systems for attack • Can even discover Operating System

45. Example counterhack.net Domain Name Hierarchy Root DNS Servers com DNS Servers net DNS Servers org DNS Servers counterhack.net DNS Server

46. Attack Reconnaissance • Querying DNS • First, find out one or more DNS servers for a target system • Available from records gathered from the Whois DB • Listed as “name servers” and “domain servers” • One common tool used to query DNS servers is the nslookup command • Included in all Unix flavors and Win NT/2000/XP

47. Attack Reconnaissance • DNS Query • First try to do a Zone transfer • Says “give me all the information about systems associated with this domain” • First use a server command to set DNS server to target’s DNS server • Then set the query up to retrieve any type of information • And finally to do the zone transfer

48. Attack Reconnaissance • DNS Query • Dig command • dig – Unix variations must use this for Linux $ dig @66.244.253.1 counterhack.net -t AXFR This does a zone transfer ... might not work Excellent reference for dig here http://www.madboa.com/geek/dig/#ttl • Defences against DNS Queries • Must have DNS records • Need to map between IP addresses plus need to indicate name and mail servers

49. Attack Reconnaissance • Defence against DNS Queries • Restrict Zone Transfers • Only reason you allow Zone transfers is to keep secondary DNS server in sync with primary server • Configure DNS server to only allow Zone transfers to specific IP Addresses • Can also configure Firewalls or router to restrict access to TCP port 53 to back-up DNS server

50. Attack Reconnaissance • General Purpose Reconnaissance Tools • Can also research target through attack portals on the web • Sites allow you to do research and even initiate an attack against the target www.dnsstuff.com/tools www.network-tools.com www.cotse.com/refs.htm http://www.dslreports.com/tools?r=76