Techniques for Fingerprinting:#

1. Banner Grabbing:

   • This involves retrieving banners from web servers which often contain information about the server software and version.

   • Example using curl -I:

     curl -I inlanefreight.com

• The server responded with Apache/2.4.41 (Ubuntu) and redirected the user to HTTPS, indicating further technologies in use.

2. HTTP Header Analysis:
   • HTTP headers like Serve and X-Powered-By can reveal the web server and other technologies in use.
   • The scan also showed the X-Redirect-By header pointing to WordPress, further suggesting WordPress as the CMS for the site.
3. Probing for Specific Responses:
   • Specially crafted requests can trigger responses that indicate specific technologies or versions.
   • For example, wp-json and wp-login.php URLs provide clues that WordPress is in use.
4. Content Analysis:
   • Examining page content can reveal clues such as copyright text, script libraries, or software-specific identifiers that hint at the underlying tech stack.

Tools for Fingerprinting:#

1. Wappalyzer:
   • A browser extension that identifies technologies such as CMSs, frameworks, and analytics tools used by a website.
2. BuiltWith:
   • A web-based tool that provides detailed reports on a site’s technology stack.
3. WhatWeb:
   • A command-line tool for identifying various web technologies via a vast database of signatures.
4. Nmap:
   • A network scanner that can perform service and OS fingerprinting.
5. Netcraft:
   • Offers web security services, providing technology, hosting, and security reports.
6. wafw00f:
   • A tool to detect web application firewalls (WAFs), useful for determining if security mechanisms like Wordfence are in place.
7. Nikto:
   • A web server scanner capable of detecting outdated software, insecure configurations, and vulnerabilities.

Case Study: Fingerprinting inlanefreight.com#

1. Banner Grabbing:
   • The Apache/2.4.41 (Ubuntu) server information was retrieved, and redirection was observed to WordPress, a significant clue about the CMS in use.
   • The wp-json paths indicated a WordPress installation, and X-Redirect-By revealed WordPress as the source of the redirect.
2. WAF Detection (wafw00f):
   • The scan revealed that the site is behind a Wordfence WAF, which can block reconnaissance attempts and certain exploits. It is crucial to account for this when performing further analysis.
3. Nikto Scan:
   • Identified key findings like:
     • The server is using Apache/2.4.41 (Ubuntu).
     • WordPress is in use, and the /wp-login.php page was found.
     • Security issues such as missing headers (e.g., Strict-Transport-Security) and potential vulnerabilities related to outdated software.
     • The server uses Let’s Encrypt for SSL and provides multiple IP addresses (IPv4 and IPv6).

Key Takeaways:#

• Fingerprinting offers a detailed insight into the technologies and security measures of a target website.
• Knowledge of the technologies and security mechanisms in use (such as WAFs or specific software versions) helps attackers tailor their approach.
• Tools like curl, wafw00f, Nikto, and WhatWeb are essential for performing effective reconnaissance and identifying technologies and security measures.
• In the case of inlanefreight.com, WordPress, Apache 2.4.41, and Wordfence WAF were key findings that may affect the attack strategy.

This fingerprinting process enables attackers to pinpoint weaknesses in a target system’s infrastructure, aiding in crafting more effective, targeted attacks.