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Labs / Matsudo

  • Medium
  • Released 16 May 2024

🔐 Can you break into this misconfigured server?

Step into the shoes of a penetration tester and tackle this realistic SSH-based challenge. This server might look secure from the outside, but weak credentials and dangerous sudo configurations could be your ticket to complete system compromise. 🎯 Master the art of reconnaissance, brute-force attacks, and privilege escalation in this hands-on Linux exploitation scenario.

2
Flags
40
Points
Medium
Guided Mode
Solution Available
Free Access
Start Lab Environment

Launch your dedicated AWS machine to begin hacking

~1-2 min setup
AWS dedicated
Private instance
Industry standard
Medium

Matsudo - SSH Privilege Escalation Challenge

Challenge Overview

Welcome to Matsudo! This challenge simulates a real-world penetration testing scenario where you need to gain access to a remote SSH server and escalate privileges to root. The target system has been configured with certain misconfigurations that can be exploited to achieve full system compromise.

Learning Objectives

  • Practice network reconnaissance and port scanning techniques
  • Learn SSH banner analysis and information gathering
  • Understand SSH brute-force attack methodologies
  • Master Linux privilege escalation through sudo misconfigurations
  • Develop skills in system enumeration and exploitation

Challenge Scenario

You have been tasked with penetrating a Linux server owned by Charlie. Your objective is to gain initial access through SSH, escalate privileges to root, and retrieve sensitive flags from the system. The server may have weak credentials and misconfigured sudo permissions that can be exploited.

Technical Requirements

  • Network scanning tools (nmap, masscan)
  • SSH brute-force tools (hydra, medusa)
  • Linux enumeration knowledge
  • Understanding of sudo and privilege escalation