PowerCat - Empire Module
This page contains detailed information about how to use the powershell/management/powercat Empire module. For list of all Empire modules, visit the Empire Module Library.
Module Overview
Name: PowerCat
Module: powershell/management/powercat
Source code [1]: empire/server/modules/powershell/management/powercat.yaml
Source code [2]: empire/server/data/module_source/management/powercat.ps1
MITRE ATT&CK:
T1036
Language: PowerShell
Needs admin: No
OPSEC safe: Yes
Background: Yes
powercat is a powershell function. First you need to load the function before you can execute it.You can put one of the below commands into your powershell profile so powercat is automaticallyloaded when powershell starts..
This module runs in a foreground and is OPSEC unsafe as it writes on the disk and therefore could be detected by AV/EDR running on the target system.
Note that the powercat module does not need administrative privileges to work properly which means that a normal user can run this module.
Required Module Options
This is a list of options that are required by the powercat module:
Agent
Agent to run module on.
Additional Module Options
This is a list of additional options that are supported by the powercat module:
c
Connect to a listener.
d
Switch. Disconnect after connecting.
dns
Transfer data over dns (dnscat2).
dnsft
DNS Failure Threshold.
e
Execute. (GAPING_SECURITY_HOLE).
ep
Switch. Execute Powershell.
g
Switch. Generate Payload.
ge
Switch. Generate Encoded Payload.
i
Input: Filepath (string), byte array, or string.
l
Switch. Listen for a connection.
o
Console Output Type: "Host", "Bytes", or "String".
of
Output File Path.
p
The port to connect to, or listen on.
r
Switch. Relay. Format: -r tcp:10.1.1.1:443.
rep
Switch. Repeater. Restart after disconnecting.
t
Timeout option. Default: 60.
u
Switch. Transfer data over UDP.
Powercat Example Usage
Here's an example of how to use the powercat module in the Empire client console:
[+] New agent Y4LHEV83 checked in
[*] Sending agent (stage 2) to Y4LHEV83 at 192.168.204.135
(empire usestager/windows/ducky) > usemodule powershell/management/powercat
Author besimorhino
Background True
Comments https://github.com/besimorhino/powercat
Description powercat is a powershell function. First you need to load the function
before you can execute it.You can put one of the below commands into
your powershell profile so powercat is automaticallyloaded when
powershell starts..
Language powershell
Name powershell/management/powercat
NeedsAdmin False
OpsecSafe True
Techniques http://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1036
,Record Options-,----------,-----------------------------------,
| Name | Value | Required | Description |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| Agent | | True | Agent to run module on. |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| c | | False | Connect to a listener |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| d | | False | Switch. Disconnect after |
| | | | connecting. |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| dns | | False | Transfer data over dns (dnscat2). |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| dnsft | | False | DNS Failure Threshold. |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| e | | False | Execute. (GAPING_SECURITY_HOLE) |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| ep | | False | Switch. Execute Powershell. |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| g | | False | Switch. Generate Payload |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| ge | | False | Switch. Generate Encoded Payload |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| i | | False | Input: Filepath (string), byte |
| | | | array, or string. |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| l | | False | Switch. Listen for a connection |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| o | | False | Console Output Type: "Host", |
| | | | "Bytes", or "String" |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| of | | False | Output File Path. |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| p | | False | The port to connect to, or listen |
| | | | on. |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| r | | False | Switch. Relay. Format: -r |
| | | | tcp:10.1.1.1:443 |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| rep | | False | Switch. Repeater. Restart after |
| | | | disconnecting. |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| t | | False | Timeout option. Default: 60 |
|-------|-------|----------|-----------------------------------|
| u | | False | Switch. Transfer data over UDP. |
'-------'-------'----------'-----------------------------------'
(Empire: usemodule/powershell/management/powercat) > set Agent Y4LHEV83
[*] Set Agent to Y4LHEV83
(Empire: usemodule/powershell/management/powercat) > execute
[*] Tasked Y4LHEV83 to run Task 1
...
Now wait for the results to come.
Author
- besimorhino
References
- https://github.com/BC-SECURITY/Empire/tree/master/empire/server/modules/powershell/management/powercat.yaml
- https://github.com/BC-SECURITY/Empire/tree/master/empire/server/data/module_source/management/powercat.ps1
- https://github.com/besimorhino/powercat
- http://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1036
- https://github.com/iagox86/dnscat2
See Also
Check also the following modules related to this module:
- powershell/management/timestomp
- powershell/management/spawnas
- powershell/management/zipfolder
- powershell/management/switch_listener
- powershell/management/start-processasuser
- powershell/management/invoke_script
- powershell/management/invoke_sharpchisel
- powershell/management/get_domain_sid
- powershell/management/enable_multi_rdp
- powershell/management/enable_rdp
- powershell/management/reflective_inject
- powershell/management/shinject
- powershell/management/lock
- powershell/management/sid_to_user
- powershell/management/psinject
- powershell/management/spawn
- powershell/management/phant0m
- powershell/management/disable_rdp
- powershell/management/user_to_sid
- powershell/management/wdigest_downgrade
- powershell/management/runas
- powershell/management/downgrade_account
- powershell/management/vnc
- powershell/management/logoff
- powershell/management/invoke_socksproxy
- powershell/management/restart
- powershell/management/honeyhash
- powershell/management/mailraider/get_subfolders
- powershell/management/mailraider/mail_search
- powershell/management/mailraider/send_mail
- powershell/management/mailraider/view_email
- powershell/management/mailraider/search_gal
- powershell/management/mailraider/get_emailitems
- powershell/management/mailraider/disable_security
Version
This page has been created based on Empire version 4.1.3 (BC Security Fork).
Visit Empire Module Library for more modules.
