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BeEF - Browser Exploitation Framework

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How to Use the BeEF Hacking Tool (2024) (stationx.net)

BeEF, the Browser Exploitation Framework, is a tool ethical hackers use to assess and exploit vulnerabilities within web browsers.

Unlike many other security tools focusing on system or server-side vulnerabilities, BeEF focuses on the client side – specifically, the user’s web browser. This is significant because even if a system’s network or operating system is secure, vulnerabilities in a web browser can still provide an attacker with a way into the network or system.

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For ethical hackers, BeEF provides several benefits:

In-Depth Browser Analysis: BeEF can provide detailed information about the hooked browsers, such as the browser type, version, installed plugins, whether the browser is running over Tor, cookies, etc.

Client-Side Exploitation: BeEF has numerous command modules that can aid in exploiting web browsers. These modules can perform various tasks such as stealing cookies, conducting social engineering attacks, launching network attacks, and more.

Real-World Simulation: BeEF allows ethical hackers to mimic real-world attack scenarios, helping organizations understand their risk postures better.

Persistent Access: BeEF can maintain control over a hooked browser even if an IP changes, providing ongoing access to the target for further exploits.

Easy-to-Use Interface: The BeEF interface is web-based and user-friendly, making it easier to manage hooked browsers and execute command modules.

Different Sections within BeEF. 

  1. Hooked Browsers: This is where you’ll see a list of all currently hooked browsers. Each browser is listed with details such as IP address, browser name, and operating system. As no browsers are hooked up initially, this section will be empty.

  2. Getting Started: This section provides guidance on how to use the BeEF framework. It includes information on how to hook a browser and use command modules.

  3. Logs: This section shows a log of the BeEF activity. This includes interactions with the target browsers, commands sent, responses received, and any errors or important system messages.

  4. Zombies: In BeEF terminology, a “zombie” is a hooked browser that the BeEF server controls. The “Zombies” section lists these browsers and allows you to interact with them. As no browsers are hooked yet, this section will also be empty.

  5. Basic: This view provides basic information about the hooked browser, such as the IP address, browser type, and operating system. In this view, you can also use the available command modules to interact with the hooked browser.

  6. Requester: The “Requester” view lets you manually craft and send HTTP requests from the hooked browser. This can be useful for exploring the website or web application from the perspective of the hooked browser, testing access controls, or performing other manual testing tasks. Once you’ve hooked a browser, the “Hooked Browsers” and “Zombies” sections will be populated with information, and you’ll be able to interact with the hooked browsers using the BeEF command modules.

Disclaimer:

The techniques and knowledge shared in this article should only be employed on systems for which you have obtained explicit permissions or on systems you own the rights to conduct testing. 

Unauthorized access is illegal and could lead to legal implications. We strongly urge you to respect digital boundaries.

Hooking Web Browsers with BeEF

Now that you know how to install and start BeEF, let’s explore how to exploit a browser by hooking into it.

What Is Browser Exploitation?

Browser exploitation refers to taking advantage of security vulnerabilities in a web browser to perform unauthorized actions. This can involve various techniques, typically to gain control over the browser or the system on which it’s running or to steal sensitive information.

The basic concept behind browser exploitation is that a web browser, like any software, can have flaws or vulnerabilities in its code. These vulnerabilities could cause the browser to behave in unintended ways. 

Most, if not all, current desktop and mobile browsers use JavaScript to serve the user with interactive web pages and applications. 

For more information on JavaScript security, read our post, JavaScript Security: How to Mitigate the Top Risks Now.

With BeEF, an attacker can leverage this widespread use of JavaScript to “hook” a browser, allowing the attacker to exploit potential vulnerabilities, execute commands, and potentially gain unauthorized access or extract sensitive information.

Hooking the Browser

Now that you understand browser exploitation and how BeEF works by injecting a malicious JavaScript file, let’s look at an example. 

BeEF provides links to demo pages within the “Getting Started” section we can use to show proof of concept. In a real-world application, setting up a website or web server to serve the ‘hook.js’ code is a more legitimate way of tricking the victim into being hooked.

This can be accomplished by creating a website, adding the hook script to the header of the page, and then having the victim visit the site by means of a phishing attack. This could be through a link via email, Social Media, or other means. 

First, let’s copy the link for the advanced demo page. You must change the IP address to the one from your attacking machine. This page includes the embedded hook.js script. 

http://10.0.2.15:3000/demos/butcher/index.html

Next, you need to find a way for the user to click on this link. How about crafting a Phishing email with the help of ChatGPT to company employees, letting them know about a contest? 

If you want to see other ways to use Social Engineering, see our post Unlock SET: How to Use The Social Engineer Toolkit.

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