BurpSuite - Guide

Burp Suite Introductory Guide

Burp Suite is a comprehensive platform for web application security testing. It provides tools for mapping, analyzing, and attacking web applications to find vulnerabilities. Below is a guide to help you get started with Burp Suite:

1. Setting Up Burp Suite

• Download and Installation:

  • Download Burp Suite from the official PortSwigger website.
  • Follow the installation instructions for your operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux).

• Configuring Your Browser:

  • Install the Burp Suite CA Certificate to allow Burp to intercept HTTPS traffic.
  • Configure your browser to use 127.0.0.1:8080 as a proxy (default Burp Suite proxy settings).

2. Basic Interface Overview

• Dashboard: Overview of current activities and alerts.
• Target: Used for mapping out the application and identifying points of interest.
• Proxy: Intercepts traffic between the client (browser) and the server.
• Intruder: Used for automated attacks, such as brute-forcing.
• Repeater: Allows for manual editing and resending of requests.
• Scanner (Pro Version): Automated scanning for vulnerabilities.
• Decoder: Used for encoding/decoding data.
• Comparer: Compares two pieces of data to identify differences.
• Extender: Allows you to add custom extensions.

3. Setting Up Proxy Interception

• Intercepting Traffic:

  • Navigate to the Proxy > Intercept tab and make sure interception is turned on.
  • Visit a web page in your configured browser to see requests appear in Burp.

• Forwarding or Dropping Requests:

  • Use the Forward button to send the intercepted request to the server.
  • Use the Drop button to discard a request.

4. Basic Testing Workflow

1. Map the Application:

   • Browse through the web application with the proxy turned on to map out endpoints and features.

2. Analyze Requests and Responses:

   • Review captured requests and responses in Proxy > HTTP History.

3. Edit and Repeat Requests:

   • Send interesting requests to Repeater for manual testing.
   • Modify and resend the requests to observe changes in the response.

4. Automated Scans (Pro Version):

   • Right-click a request and choose Scan to start an automated scan for vulnerabilities.

5. Using Intruder for Attacks

• Configure Positions:

  • Send a request to Intruder and set the payload positions by marking parameters with §.

• Set Payloads:

  • Go to the Payloads tab to configure payload lists (e.g., dictionary lists for brute-forcing).

• Start the Attack:

  • Click Start Attack and monitor results in the Intruder tab.

6. Using Repeater for Manual Testing

• Send Requests:
  • Right-click a request from Proxy > HTTP History and select Send to Repeater.
• Modify Requests:
  • Edit the request in Repeater and click Send to observe changes in the response.

7. Decoder and Comparer Tools

• Decoder:

  • Paste encoded data and choose to decode it (Base64, URL, etc.) or encode data into various formats.

• Comparer:

  • Paste or load data to compare two pieces of text and highlight differences.

8. Extending Burp Suite

• Extensions:

  • Go to Extender > BApp Store to add community-built or custom extensions to enhance Burp’s capabilities.

• Custom Scripts:

  • Write and load custom Python or Java extensions to create specialized testing tools.

9. Saving and Loading Projects

• Save Projects:
  • Save the state of your testing progress by going to Project > Save.
• Load Projects:
  • Open previous projects from Project > Open to continue testing.

10. Best Practices

• Legal and Ethical Use:

  • Always ensure you have explicit permission to test any web application.

• Scope Definition:

  • Set the target scope in Target > Scope to avoid capturing traffic from unintended sources.

• Data Management:

  • Regularly clear or save your project to manage data storage effectively.

This guide provides the foundational steps for getting started with Burp Suite for web application security testing.