Hacking Web Servers

Correct Answer: Burp Suite

Burp Suite is the correct tool for this purpose. It acts as a proxy between the client browser and the server, allowing security testers to intercept, inspect, and modify HTTP/HTTPS traffic in real-time. This makes it ideal for testing injection vulnerabilities as you can manually manipulate parameters before they reach the server. The other options are not as suitable: Metasploit Framework is primarily an exploitation framework rather than a web proxy. While it has some HTTP capabilities through auxiliary modules, it's not designed specifically for intercepting and modifying web requests in real-time. Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer that can capture and display HTTP traffic, but it doesn't easily allow for modifying requests before they reach the server. It's more for passive monitoring than active manipulation. Nikto is an automated web server scanner that checks for known vulnerabilities, but doesn't function as an intercepting proxy to modify requests. It can identify potential issues but doesn't provide the interactive request manipulation capabilities needed for thorough injection testing.

Correct Answer: Disable unnecessary HTTP methods in the web server configuration

The most effective countermeasure to prevent reconnaissance using HTTP methods like TRACE and OPTIONS is to disable unnecessary HTTP methods in the web server configuration. This is the best approach because: 1. It addresses the root cause by removing the attack vector completely 2. It follows the principle of least privilege - only allowing methods that are actually needed for the application to function 3. It's a standard security hardening practice recommended in security frameworks like OWASP 4. It can be implemented with minimal impact on legitimate users Regarding the other options: Implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with default rules is overly broad and may block legitimate traffic, causing availability issues. Default rules are often not tailored to specific threats and may create false positives. Configuring the server to return false information might temporarily confuse attackers but doesn't actually prevent the information disclosure. This approach could also violate standards and cause issues with legitimate clients expecting standard responses. Adding an additional authentication layer with client certificates is excessive for this specific problem and creates significant operational overhead. While it would increase security overall, it's not specifically targeting the HTTP method problem and would impact all legitimate users.

Correct Answer: Dirbuster

Dirbuster is the correct answer because it's specifically designed for directory and file enumeration on web servers. It works by using dictionary-based attacks to find hidden directories and files that may not be linked from the website but still accessible. This is precisely what the security team needs to identify potential information leakage. Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer that captures and inspects data packets across a network. While useful for network traffic analysis, it's not designed for web server directory enumeration. Metasploit Framework is a penetration testing platform that can perform various security tasks through different modules. While it has some capabilities for web scanning, it's not specifically optimized for directory and file enumeration like Dirbuster is. Nessus is a vulnerability scanner that checks for known vulnerabilities across systems and networks. While it can detect some web server issues, it's not primarily designed for crawling and finding hidden directories and files on web servers.