How to do Effective Web App Fingerprinting in 9 Steps ?
Web application fingerprinting is the process of identifying the specific software, framework, CMS, server, or other technologies running on a web application. It’s a crucial first step in both ethical hacking and penetration testing, as it helps the tester understand the platform and potential vulnerabilities before attempting any security assessment.
So Let’s Dive into the Steps :
Step 1 : Default Banner
Check for the Default banner of a request made by web application by using burp suite or zap.
i.e. GET / HTTP/1.1
HEAD / HTTP/1.1
Step 2 : Go to /robots.txt
For Example https://www.facebook.com/robots.txt
Step 3 : Check for Admin Panel
Find the Admin panel using CMS of Web App or By using Fuzzing Tools.
1. Using the CMS of the Web App
If you know the CMS of the web application, you can look for commonly used admin URLs associated with that CMS:
WordPress: /wp-admin/
Joomla: /administrator/
Drupal: /user/login
Magento: /admin/
PrestaShop: /admin (often renamed for security)
Identifying the CMS can be done by looking at specific web page elements or files, such as the robots.txt file, CMS-specific meta tags, or even URL structure patterns. Tools like Wappalyzer and WhatCMS can help identify the CMS quickly.
2. Using Fuzzing Tools
Fuzzing tools can automate the process by brute-forcing through common paths to find the admin panel.
you can proceed by using :
Tools to Use:
Gobuster
Dirb
Dirbuster
ffuf
wfuzz
Step 4 : Check for TRACE/TRACK Method
The trace/track method in web application fingerprinting involves sending HTTP requests using TRACE or TRACK methods to a web server. These methods are often used to echo back any input data for diagnostic purposes, such as identifying request modifications by proxies or web servers. In web app fingerprinting, the trace/track method helps to:
1. Identify Web Server Type:
Different web servers (Apache, IIS, Nginx, etc.) may respond uniquely to TRACE or TRACK requests, helping to identify the server type.
2. Detect Middlewares or Proxies:
Some proxies or firewalls block these methods for security, so the server's response (or lack thereof) may reveal the presence of security systems or proxies.
3. Discover Security Misconfigurations:
If the server allows TRACE or TRACK, it could be vulnerable to certain attacks, such as cross-site tracing (XST), where an attacker can bypass security mechanisms by tricking the server into reflecting headers, cookies, or other sensitive information back to the client.
Step 5 : Server Fingerprinting
You can do it by using site as :
Step 6 : Which Client Side language is used?
You can analyse using the Netcraft.
Here is link : https://sitereport.netcraft.com/
Step 7 : Check for the Debug Method is Allow in case of IIS
The DEBUG method in Internet Information Services (IIS) is one of the HTTP verbs used to facilitate remote debugging of applications. When enabled, the DEBUG method can allow for inspection of server-side scripts and application code, which can help developers troubleshoot issues during the development and testing phases. However, leaving it enabled in production environments poses significant security risks.
How To Check For It?
You can test for the DEBUG method by using tools like curl or HTTP inspection tools (e.g., Burp Suite). For example:
curl -X DEBUG http://your-server.com
If the server responds, the DEBUG method is enabled.
Step 8 : Info Leak Via Stored Cache
Inspect Cache-Control Headers
Cache-control headers are used to manage what is stored in browser caches or intermediary caches. To see if sensitive data is cached, inspect HTTP headers using developer tools or a tool like Burp Suite. Key headers include:
Cache-Control: Look for values like private, no-store, or no-cache for sensitive data. If you see public, it could allow caching of private data.
Pragma: Often used with no-cache to prevent caching.
Expires: Should be set to a past date for non-cacheable resources.
Analyze Response Data If you have access to response data with sensitive information (e.g., session tokens, user data), confirm whether caching headers are set correctly to prevent storage. If Cache-Control is not properly configured, an attacker could retrieve sensitive data from shared caches or a user’s local cache.
Step 9 : Source Code Check [HTML]
You need to check it manually or you can identify the technologies based on html code using Wapplayzer or Builtwith.
So Let’s end it here.
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