Access

@Rainerd said:
@darkcyber
I have used said account, but it’s not an admin?

yes that is not admin, get user.txt first with thus account, then privesc to got root.txt

Hey,
Been working on privescing for some time now, I think I’m close but I get syntax errors for r**** which I do not understand. Could someone give me a hand please?

@Urmine said:
Hey,
Been working on privescing for some time now, I think I’m close but I get syntax errors for r**** which I do not understand. Could someone give me a hand please?

read the manual

@darkcyber said:

@Urmine said:
Hey,
Been working on privescing for some time now, I think I’m close but I get syntax errors for r**** which I do not understand. Could someone give me a hand please?

read the manual

I agree. Turns out that I was using Bash redirects to try to show output. Still, I needed a push to finish this. Thanks EthicalHCOP for helping out.

FInally got root thanks @tacosaurus . Apparently I was missing one word, like dark cyber said, read the manual

What an infuriating box!!! However, I managed to learn a lot in the process of stumbling thru the steps. I also did learn that the vulnerability in this box maybe a common thing in enterprises with older Win boxes that use de-centralized s/w deployment or batch/script file deployments

Here’s my hints (since you are in this thread, I assume you are only figuring out root.txt access)

  1. KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) - if you haven’t figured it out from the prev replies, this box is actually pretty simple. It does not require msf or any kit to get thru.

  2. There are some red herrings in the box once you are in as user. However, it does clue you in to whats possible. I also think the maker may have intended vbs to be used to gain access to the root file.

  3. ALWAYS use full paths in your commands. It will save you some headaches. At least for the r******.
    3.a As a cautionary info, r***** does not give a success or error output. You will need to figure out how to direct the output of the command being run to a file vs your console session. Some of your frustration may be because you haven’t tested the result of your attempt to check if it succeeded. t*****t is a pain to work with.

  4. “Access is denied” is intentional and there are multiple ways to get around. You will want to search methods or workarounds to get the contents

  5. Some of the possible methods do seem to break the box or ability to get root.txt. A command that worked for me stopped working midway, and then on a fresh session, did not work at all. Once I gained access to the file, I realised that someone else may have issues getting to it, or will get unexpected results in some of the commands being used. Which is why I think a large number of people tend to reset it. I did try to reverse my changes but found someone had reset it at that moment.

EDIT: @darkcyber hinted a pretty useful command that gives an idea on how /s********* works. Thanks.

@Urmine said:

@darkcyber said:

@Urmine said:
Hey,
Been working on privescing for some time now, I think I’m close but I get syntax errors for r**** which I do not understand. Could someone give me a hand please?

read the manual

I agree. Turns out that I was using Bash redirects to try to show output. Still, I needed a push to finish this. Thanks EthicalHCOP for helping out.

you’re welcome man ! Regards !

@laughingman777

I’m a big fan of Ghost in the Shell too, love your profile pic!!

For those who are struggling:

Hint 1: You don’t need an admin shell.
Hint 2: You don’t have to add user to admin group.

Hum if you do manage to get an admin shell please PM me sensei. I wanna know how lol

Finding it difficult to get the commands I want to run with the credentialled string. I can make it do other things like run net commands etc but I can’t use it to list directories, find files, copy files or make links etc. Can anyone provide a helpful nudge?

hey guys, i got the user flag, im tryng with root flag but i have some problem, im noob, i read the threads and i imagine where i must search but something run away from me mmh some hints in PM ? but no spoiler eheh

I just finished my first box! It was a lot of fun. For those struggling getting the root flag - look at all of the file properties/attributes to find why you aren’t able to read it. Once I did that, I figured it out pretty quick.

Finally managed to get the system flag after a day of using wrong command and syntax.
Those who are still stuck at root, you basically just need to do a simple file operation using the /r**** command with proper syntax and parameters.
Also the the type or more commands wont work under /r**** as they are a part of cmd.e x e. There’s a specific syntax to do that.
PM me for more hints or help.

For the life of me I can not ls or dir anything on f**

Edit: Reconnected to VPN today and it was working fine

I just got root. Thanks to @rufy & @nawespet for the help along the way.
My Two Cents…
Once you get the trick figured out with the ru*** command, stick with it. You are on the right track. Then most importantly, get your syntax all typed out correctly. :wink:

This was a fun box and I learned a ton about the importance of not being “lazy” as many have said on this forum.

If anyone would like a hint, I would be glad to assist.

Learned a lot from this, thank you the creator. It took me awhile and it was all because of syntax… Struggled with getting root access, user access was much easier. Just remember to do your enumeration. Everything for getting root was correct but it was not outputting the file until I reissued the rest of command with the below switch.

My one hint: A useful Windows CMD switch… /k or /c (cmd /k).

Happy to help those who are struggling and will try not give too much away.

Nice box, finally rooted.
Don’t forget full path.

Rooted! Learned a lot about Windows CMD syntax. Frustrating but rewarding box.

Rooted at last. Had some issues with the threads most talked about command but after reset it worked better, guessing someone just left the box after completion and it behaved badly…

I was never able to get the root.txt output by using the on board commands but that same command enabled possibility to get reverse shell and from there it was piece of cake.

All in all, great box!

Finally completed the machine if have any query feel free to ask.