Explore a forensic investigator’s analysis of an Apache access log to uncover evidence of a command injection attack. Learn to interpret suspicious GET requests and understand attacker objectives.
Table of Contents
Question
Someone in the field of forensic investigation is looking at an Apache access log. They’re searching for any evidence of a command injection attack. During this process, they find a log entry where the IP address “10.0.0.8” placed a GET request using the command ip=127.0.0.1;ls+/var/www/html. Judging by this data, what might be the individual’s objective behind this attack?
A. The individual behind the attack is attempting a brute-force attack on the host server
B. The individual behind the attack is working towards replacing the target file on the host server
C. The individual behind the attack aims to see what’s inside the /var/www/html directory of the host server
D. The individual behind the attack is working to put an XML external entity into the web application
Answer
C. The individual behind the attack aims to see what’s inside the /var/www/html directory of the host server
Explanation
In this scenario, a forensic investigator is examining an Apache access log and has discovered evidence of a potential command injection attack. The log entry shows a GET request from IP address 10.0.0.8 using the command:
ip=127.0.0.1;ls+/var/www/html
Let’s break down this command and analyze the attacker’s likely objective:
- ip=127.0.0.1: This part of the command sets an IP parameter to the localhost address. This could be an attempt to bypass certain security controls or to interact with the local system.
- ;: The semicolon is used in many command-line interfaces to separate multiple commands. In this context, it’s a clear indicator of an attempt to inject an additional command.
- ls+/var/www/html: This is the injected command. ‘ls’ is a Unix/Linux command used to list directory contents. The ‘+’ signs are likely URL-encoded spaces. So, this command is attempting to list the contents of the ‘/var/www/html’ directory.
Given this analysis, the correct answer is:
C. The individual behind the attack aims to see what’s inside the /var/www/html directory of the host server.
The attacker is using a command injection technique to execute the ‘ls’ command on the server. The ‘/var/www/html’ directory is a common location for web server files on Unix/Linux systems. By listing the contents of this directory, the attacker can gather information about the structure of the web application, potentially discovering sensitive files or identifying other attack vectors.
This type of reconnaissance is often a preliminary step in a more complex attack chain. By understanding the server’s file structure, the attacker can plan further exploits or identify potential vulnerabilities.
It’s important to note that this attack is not:
A. A brute-force attack, which would involve repeated login attempts.
B. An attempt to replace files, as the command only lists directory contents.
D. An XML external entity attack, which is a different type of vulnerability exploitation.
For forensic investigators, recognizing these patterns in log files is crucial for identifying and understanding potential security breaches. This example underscores the importance of regularly monitoring server logs and implementing proper input validation and sanitization to prevent command injection attacks.
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